513
by Dan Rush
Summary: May 13, 2012 will never be forgotten by the people of Japan. The Nagano School Massacre and the day followed by news reports, radio broadcasts and the people who experianced it.


_**Deadman Wonderland**_

"_**5/13"**_

By Dan Rush

Deadman Wonderland © All rights respected. For non-profit fan enjoyment only.

Rhongiku and Toshiro Hitsugaya from BLEACH © all rights respected.

Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura from NARUTO © all rights respected.

May 13th 2012 will be a day never to be forgotten in Japan as 29 Middle School children are slaughtered in their classroom. This is what happened beyond the blood covered holocaust of room 305 of the 4th Prefectorial Middle School of Nagano Japan.

"It's hell…it's fucken hell."

Officer Toshiro Ban

Nagano Police Department officer on scene May 13th 2012

6:00am 13 May 2012…

"_Good morning! J-POP ROCK 357FM, time to get those bones out of bed you gazelles and start running because the lions got a head start already!..."_

"Click"

Ganta slowly rises from bed, shaking the sleep from his head as he slowly trudges towards the bathroom. His dad will be home in a few hours from another job down in Nagasaki so he stops by the kitchen to pull out a prepared "go breakfast" and swallow a few gulps of orange juice before climbing into the shower…

Then he looks down and realizes his underwear is still on.

6:00am 13 May 2012…

Sargent Toshiro Ban closes the door of his locker and checks his pockets again for the keys to the cruiser. Today he's taking a new partner fresh out of the national police academy on his first "exciting" patrol. Ban laughs as he walks towards the patrol briefing room, the kid's probably having wet dreams about CSI Miami already.

6:15am 13 May 2012…

Mimi Sasamu sits looking at her dressing table wondering what she'll wear today. She thinks about the talk she had with her father Ota last night, about Ganta. About her feelings for him. She hopes he'll finally say something to her for once. Her father's constant harping about sex keeps pushing to the front of her mind. She sighs at his silly protectiveness and starts brushing her long hair.

6:15am 13 May 2012…

Ganta sits on the ledge of the entranceway slipping on his sneakers while a doughnut dangles in his mouth. He thinks he'll say something today to Mimi. "You know you're the prettiest girl in the whole school?" He thinks. "Man…that's too dorky." He shakes his head. "Mimi? You are so cute…would you like to go out to dinner?" He shakes his head again. 'What the fuck?"

6:20am 13 May 2012…

Wakamatsu Shikohara stops and moaps as his mother is still fussing with his hair. "Mother please! I'm not 6 years old any more!" He complains.

"You're never too old to look well groomed." She says as she finishes with a comb. "There! That's my young man!"

He gives her a gentle kiss. "I love you Mother. I'm bringing Ganta by after school so I can help him with his math again, if that's all right?"

"It's fine dear. Tell him he has no right to refuse dinner." She says as she watches her son walk away.

6:20am 13 May 2012

"And the patient in room 505 had more stomach complaints last night. The old woman in 508 fussed about the television like always, which is a good indication she won't shuttle off the mortal coil any time soon…doctor?"

Yoshi Higasake looked back at the head nurse and contorted his face. "Would you believe I've forgotten the date of my anniversary? My wife is so going to kill me for this."

Emiko Wataru and her partner Goshi Shiraku passed the confounded doctor by as they carried handfuls of medical assundries out to their waiting rescue unit. "Should I call us back on yet?" She asked him.

"We should stop for coffee first." Goshi said as he organized the supply bins and locked the cabinet door.

6:25am 13 May 2012

"_Pack it up, pack it in, let me begin, I came to win….." "Good morning Nagano! This is your favorite wild eyed Otaku Geigeen Dennis Demon Dees here on the morning jam session, your favorite radio station, the Magnum of Japan 357 FM!"_

"Regullar! Magiatto! Café Mocca up!" Mahiko called as she passed coffee after coffee to the rush of school students forming an assembly like line from one door and out another. Niku Niku was never busier than the morning school rush.

"Morning Mahiko!" Called Ganta as he waved to her from the cash register.

"I got yours here." She replied as she passed Ganta his coffee without missing a step as she worked on a few more. He stopped by a table holding a soccer ball under an arm as he test sipped the coffee in the other.

"Hey Mariko?" He asked a girl as she ate a muffin. "You finished with that DVD yet?"

"Last night. You got an interesting taste in movies Ganta. I didn't know if I should laugh or throw up from how bad it was." She said smirking.

"It was a last minute choice." Ganta said shrugging his shoulders. "I had to use my free rental before it expired. Can I get it back tonight?'

"Yeah." Mariko replied waving.

6:30am 13 May 2012

Kisame Ito poured his coffee and walked into the lounge to find Masahiro and Junichi pouring over their lesson plans and working over their I-Pads. "You still taking your class to Deadman Junichi?"

"They voted for it." She replied as she sat back putting more sugar into her cup. "I wanted to impress them with a little cultural advancement but you know teenagers. Besides, It will be my first time going there and I needed something to crush my excuses. I hear the obstacle events run by the prisoners makes American Ninja look like a pre-school kickball session."

"It's pretty awesome." Masahiro said waving a hand. "I go when I know the Hummingbird's going to be running in it. I've never seen a girl so quick and nimble."

"Quick and nimble in his dreams. You go because you're a closet pedophile." Kisame snorted.

"Oh fuck you!" Masahiro snapped back.

6:32am 13 May 2013

" Dispatch? Patrol 9 calling in weapons check. Opening squad car gun locker." Toshiro Ban said into his shoulder radio mic as he tapped the combination to the gun safe into the car's computer. "You have to follow this procedure every morning. Account for the weapons, the allotted amo, and make sure the weapons haven't been chambered." He said to his partner as he opened the safe door. "Dispatch? Patrol 9 has 1 each Mossberg 500 service shotgun. 10 rounds in the magazine, chamber is clear. 1 each HK5 submachine gun. Five each magazines with 30 rounds each. One magazine in the weapon, no rounds chambered."

"Affirm 9."

Japanese police officers pride themselves on never having to carry or use their weapons. Few would even carry their assigned 38's out of pride. What happened in Tokyo with the Aum cult and later in America on 9/11 and in London in 2005 changed the mentality when it came to readiness. Now every patrol car had an installed gun locker that could be opened upon call to the dispatcher, though few officers believed anything like a large terrorist attack could happen in a country that did its best not to offend other nations.

Ban and Abe slipped into their seats and adjusted themselves. "Now comes the fun part. Moments of absolute nothing punctuated by the occasional morning drunk." Ban said as he turned the key.

"Dispatch…Patrol 9 active."

"Affirm 9."

6:35am 13 May 2012

"Admit it! You were hit!" The blonde Japanese boy snorted into the face of his smug faced rival. "I had him…won't admit it…..prick!"

"Stop spraying it loser." Sasuke replied cooly wiping his face. "Face it Naruto…you just suck. You're a liability to the success of our school team."

"This coming from our resident stuck up prick." Naruto snorted back.

"Do you two mind?" Their school mate and companion Sakura snapped as she pushed them apart. "I've got a big enough head ache as it is already without having to suffer through this. Can we just concentrate on defeating our rival school this weekend?"

"If we put Naruto as the anchor swordsman, we won't have to worry." Sasuke said cooly.

"That did it!" Naruto snapped as he wound up a punch and connected with Sasuke's cheek! The brawl was on as Sakura stepped aside and kept an eye on her watch waiting for the overflow of hormones to crash on the combatants.

6:37am 13 May 2012

Mimi walked through the front gate of the school compound and joined some of the other girls from her class in the daily ritual of morning girl talk.

"Hey!" Mimi called with a wave as she walked up. "Did it happen/" She asked Hima Ewote as she gave the girl a muffin from her carry bag. "It didn't did it?"

"Hey kinda wussed." Hima replied. "He gave me a kiss on the cheek! Our first date and he kisses me on the cheek!"

"Oh God, the world's going to end." Rumiko Akinoka said with a smirk. "Hima was hoping to get tongue fucked."

"I was not!" The girl snapped back. "You'd think by now that most boys knew how to kiss a girl you know?"

Mimi giggled. "Since they found out kissing by inexperience leads to global warming? Boys have been forced to practice on pillows more often."

Yasuka Omata giggled as she looked at Mimi. "Has Ganta gotten under your skirt yet?"

"Yasuka!" Mimi snapped back. "Ganta's not that way! Though….I wish he'd be a little more calm and just say what he feels."

"You're still waiting? I would have sprung the question myself by now. Mimi, if he doen't make a move, you should. Otherwise…you may get Wakamatsu."

"Oh I don't know if that's so bad." Hima replied. "Wakamatsu has a cute ass."

Mimi giggled. "To you Hina? Evertyhing has a cute butt."

6:40am 13 May 2012

Hoshi Nigawa shined a pen light into the face of the driver of a Nissan Skywriter who had the unfortunate opportunity to become one with his windshield after getting smacked in the back by a speeding bento truck. "How many lights did you see on the cab Sir?"

"It's how many lights I'm seeing now. Do I have a concussion?"" The poor man asked as he laid himself on the sidewalk. "My wife's going to be upset."

"We should get you to the hospital just for precaution. And you're better off right now than the bento driver from the looks of it." Nigawa looked back to see Gonzo putting a sheet atop the bento driver and shaking his head.

"He stinks of Sapporo." Gonzo said as he walked over. "How's this driver?"

"He's a walking transportable." Hoshi replied. "Possible minor concussion with abrasions. And it's only quarter to seven?"

"Day's young isn't it?" Gonzo said waving.

6:45am 13 May 2012

Masayoshi Igarashi looked at his smart phone then to the reception booth at the front of the boarding ramp and sighed to himself. "Running late today." He thought. The latest contract in Nagasaki took longer than expected but he was finally going home for a while off, two weeks before the next round of visits to work sites.

"_Ladies and Gentlemen may I have your attention please? All Nippon Airways flight four intercountry service to Nagano, Osaka, Yokohama and Tokyo will now board first class passengers only through Gate 7…"_

"Finally." Masayoshi said as he started walking towards the ramp, texting as he went.

"_Home soon. Lv dad."_

"_Gr8! Lv gta."_

6:48am 13 May 2012

"Hey! Ganta!" Sashi Iwanaga waved as he caught Ganta at the door to the school. "Hey… you and Wakamatsu going to practice after school?"

"That's the plan I think." Ganta replied. "How many did you get to come?"

"Seven so far. The others have after school work or home things. Are you sure we can't do it later than 5:00?"

"My Dad's coming home today." Ganta said smiling. "I'm gonna take him out to dinner and ask Mimi to come."

"What?!" Sashi replied snorting. "You're going to bring your Dad, to a date? What are you stupid?"

"No! Careful! I don't want to fuck it up." Ganta replied. It's a trust thing. Her dad will know I'm a responsible guy."

"I dunno." Sashi said shaking his head. "You might be looked at as a momma's boy."

"What ever man. I just want to treat Mimi the way she deserves. Now if I could get the cobwebs out of my mouth and say the right words, man I am so fucken tongue tied."

6:52am 13 May 2012

"Gee….this will make a great impression upon sensei." Sakura walked between the two boys who walked still making hateful side looks and gestures at each other. Their once clean school clothes were a shambles, their hair was wrecked and each sported nasty bruises and scrapes from the combined ass kicking they did on each other.

"Bitch." Naruto snapped.

"You want me to shut that mouth again?" Sasuke snorted back. "Stupid pussy."

Sakura had enough of it! She poked Naruto in an eye and punched Sasuke on a bruised cheek. "Now both of you shut the hell up!"

"Damn it! Damn it!" Naruto danced around holding an eye while Sasuke started to loose his cool.

"Sakura you…." Sasuke caught himself and quickly shut up knowing Sakura would go ape ship and wouldn't stop ill she dumped both the boys in the hospital dumpster.

6:55am 13 May 2012

Ban pulled the cruiser to the side of the street and passed a bag of pastry to Abe. "Now for the exciting part of our day…morning speed control."

"How long do we sit here?" Abe asked as he shook up the sugar and cream in his coffee.

"About two hours. Through the morning rush. We average around five stops a day, you know how it is…people panic because they're late for work and it's the Daytona 500. We'll even pop a drug mule or two in the process."

Abe scanned the cars coming by. "How about lights? Broken signals?"

"We're told as long as they have functioning directional, you can have one working brake light. Damaged or taped lights are a bust." Ban turned to the cruiser's lap top and brought up a list of "Must watchers" for cars and plates wanted by headquarters. "Look at these three cars and plates and keep an eye out for them. Probably people with suspended licenses or warrents."

6:57am 13 May 2012

Ichiro walked into room 205 and sat his bag on his desk. It was still early yet so his classmates were probably in the halls or out in the courtyards. He walked over to the teacher's podium and started writing the day's lesson plan on the blackboard. As the top student in the class, it was his responsibility since today he would teach the class under the guidance of Mrs. Nishimori. He had expressed a desire to become a teacher upon graduating High School.

6:59am 13 May 2012

Akemi broke away from Genkato quickly enough that no one suspected their shenanigans at the back of the classroom. One of these days they were going to get totally stupid and get caught on the floor making out. That wouldn't be easy to explain to her father.

6:59am 13 May 2012

Warase Kasoshima locked the door of his apartment and walked from his building down Michako Ave towards his job at Kansen Bank 15 blocks away. He decided to forgo the bike since the day was looking to be pleasant.

7:00am 13 May 2012

"_Ladies and Gentlemen. We have been given permission to pull back from the gate and begin our departure roll. Please listen as the crew explains the safety features of this Boeing 737 aircraft? Our flight to Nagano will be 40 minutes. Our total time till we arrive in Tokyo/narita will be 2 hours and 15 minutes…"_

Masayoshi opened his carry case and pulled some files to look at as the plane began to roll back and the engines began to wind up.

7:01am 13 May 2012

Masashi Enoshima finished loading his painting van and rechecked his work schedule before jumping into the driver's seat and starting his way down Nawate Street. He tapped up a text for his crew to meet him at Chintose Apartments across town.

7:03am 13 May 2012

Ota Sasamu was busy cleaning a stretch of welded steel on the 15th floor of the new Toiyo Finance building when his cell phone rang…

"Mimi? You better say you're in school right now if you're calling me at work."

"Daddy? You'll never guess what happened." Mimi replied sounding happy.

"Ganta asked you on a date?" Ota said as he brushed a weld with one hand.

"Not exactly…he asked me out to dinner with his father."

Ota shook his head. "Is he close by?" He waited a few seconds before he spoke. "I think you can take my daughter by yourself Ganta."

"I was just…."

"There you go thinking again. I warned you about that. Tell you Dad to stay home. Mimi? If Ganta brings his father, slap him one."

"I love you Daddy."

"I'll see you after work "kitty cat" Ota said smiling as he pocketed his phone and started welding again.

7:06am 13 May 2012

"_Ladies and Gentlemen, sorry for the little delay, we are now starting our take off roll. Looks like we will have a smooth flight to Nagano today so sit back and enjoy the flight."_

Masayoshi watched the ground slowly drop away as the ANA 737 lifted off the runway.

7:10am 13 May 2012

Toshiro Ban had caught the car in his mirror as it came down the street at a good clip. "Here we go…number one of the morning."

The Blue Honda Civic flew by not paying attention to the police cruiser it had brushed off. "Hit the lights." Ban asked Abe as he rolled the car into traffic and closed on the offending vehicle ahead of him…

"Attention, Attention! Driver, pull over to the side of the street and turn off your engine! Driver pull to the side now aand turn your engine off!" Ban said into the car's microphone. "Ten over the limit. Notice how they never see the police?" Ban switched his mic over to the department circuit…

Ban: Dispatch…patrol 9?

Dispatcher: Affirm 9.

Ban: Dispatch, run plate 18-238 for a stop K.

Dispatcher: Affirm plate run 9.

Ban rolled up behind the slowing car and slipped his tonfa into the ring on his belt. "This is a standard stop." He said to Abe. "You stay a few steps behind me and stop on the right side of the rear bumper, I'll handle the driver."

As they got out, the Dispatcher returned Ban's information.

"Patrol 9…no warrants but 2 citations prior for excessive speeds through residential."

"Affirm K." Ban replied as he tapped on the driver's door. "License and registration Miss. Do you know why you've been pulled over?"

The woman looked more upset at having to stop. "Officer I'm late for work."

"Mam…you're prior two citations were for excessive speeds and now you've been caught doing 30km in a 15 zone. You do realize three citations in one month is an automatic trip to the court?"

"I'm sorry officer. My clock…"

Ban kept his cool. "Mam…your clock is obviously not the issue since you're the one who sets it every morning. Just face the truth and be honest to yourself and me and things won't go so badly for you."

7:12am 13 May 2012

Mister Hidogi thought he'd walked into a war zone! Thinking an early start to class couldn't be wrong he'd wandered in before the 7:30 bell to find his class hurling objects at each other from opposite sides of the room!

"What is this a Zoo?!" The old man screamed. "To your seats now! I guess none of you desire to get off early today do you?

7:13am 13 May 2012

Myagami Cho Rhinkan Nagasaki

Every morning like ritual clock-work precision, Mister Watame did as he always did over the past 30 years of running his clothing store. He walked out with a broom, adjusted the sun awning and swept the walk. As he did so a distant muffled sound disturbed his concentration. He stopped, looked about the street, thought nothing of it and turned back to his work….

In an instant, he was vaporized. His whole block was blasted from existence as a large object came screaming down from the sky above and exploded on impact with his building.

7:17am 13 May 2012

US Armed Forces Radio Television Service station

Sagami Heights Tokyo

Air Force Tech Sargent Richard Nash came into the monitor room and tapped the shoulder of the watch running the station programming…"Special news alert's coming in, break the station!"

**FOX NEWS ALERT**

"This is Ben Dutton of our Fox affiliate in Tokyo. We have reports of a crash of a Japanese commercial airliner on the outskirts of Nagasaki. Initial information suggests that the plane exploded shortly after taking off this morning from Nagasaki regional airport. We have on the line reporter Nick Boyle who has more information on this…Nick?'

"Ben, the aircraft believed to be a Boeing 737 ANA aircraft, that's All Nippon Airways, crashed into the Nagasaki suburb of Myagami about two minutes ago. The explosion, if it was an explosion occurred as the aircraft was making its assent on its way to Nagano, that's what we know so far."

"Folks we'll stay with this story as it develops, once again there has been a crash of a commercial airliner into the Nagasaki suburb of Mygami. This IS Ben Dutton, you're watching FOX NEWS.

7:20am 13 May 2012

Teacher's lounge, Nagano Middle School

Izumi Noda walked in to see other teachers clustered around the television. "What's going on?" She asked as she put her bag on the nearby couch.

"A plane just crashed in Nagasaki." The vice Principle said as Izumi stuck her head past a few of her friend's shoulders. "What kind of plane?"

"Jet liner out of Nagasaki regional." Another teacher remarked.

"How terrible. They say it exploded?" Izumi replied to the news on the television. "That's rare isn't it?

"Could be terrorist." The assistant principle remarked. "We shouldn't jump to conclusions though."

7:21am 13 May 2012

Patrol 9 speed stop, Eboshi Parkway

Ban was losing his cool with this woman speeder, would she ever tire of trying every excuse in the book? "Mam? You complained you were late for work, now your speeding's made you even more late and now your continued excuses have made you super late, why are you pushing your luck with me today?"

Abe remarked about what was playing over the woman's radio. "Did you hear that? A planecrashed near Nagasaki."

"Right now I'm just concerned with our current problem. Miss if you wish to continue this pointless back and forth between us, I will be happy to put you in our squad car and take you to Headquarters where you might get a sudden whisp of intelligence."

7:22pm 13 May 2012

NHK TV NEWS BROADCAST

"Continuing our coverage of the tragic crash of a passenger airliner in Nagasaki, we now know that it was ANA flight 004 which is a commercial services flight for Nagano, Osaka, Yokohama and Tokyo. There were 124 passengers and 7 crewmembers on board. Witnesses describe an explosion and the plane falling in two pieces shortly after it took off…"

7:24am

Room 205 Nagano Middle School

Everyone was in the room now and talking amongst each other as Ichiro took his place at the podium at the head of the class. "Teacher's not here yet but does anyone have objections to starting early with school business?"

The others didn't seem to have a problem with that so Ichiro clicked on the viewer over his head. "Ok…Let's start with our favorite topic…beating the snot out of our rivals from school 3 in next week's physical fitness meet."

7:25am

Nawate Street near Nagano Middle School

Masashi Enoshima pulled his truck over to the side as his cell phone rang. "Hello? Oh yes Mrs. Kojima, I am on my way there now, I just have to pick up my co-workers, should not take long I promise you."

7:26am

Michako Ave and Ekame Street

Warase Kasoshima stopped to take a text message and sip some water from a bottle while waiting for the traffic light to change.

7:27am

Nawate Street

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke stood outside the Kendo dojo waiting for the teacher to open it. "I still say I had you that one time." Naruto snipped.

"Your guard move was sloppy and lacked sufficient strength." Sasuke quipped. "That and your childish temper. You act like a little bitch."

"Don't make me step in again you two." Sakura warned.

7:28am

Patrol 9 speed stop, Eboshi Parkway

"I thought she'd never quit." Abe said as he and Ban returned to the cruiser.

"I'll take the citation….grrrrr…..grrrrr…." Can you tell she hasn't been laid in a while?" Ban said as he grabbed his car mic. "Dispatch, Patrol 9 open." "See how I dealt with that? Patience is a virtue on stops."

7:29am

J-POP ROCK 357FM

"This is Rick Dee's bringing you an update on the crash of ANA 004 in Nagasaki this morning. Officials have confirmed through witness statements that the airliner exploded shortly after take-off. Officials are evaluating the situation…

7:30am…

"Bing bong bing bong…Bing bong bing bonnnnnnnggg…."

Room 205

Nagano Middle School

Ichiro started the overhead projector and extended a pointer. "We'll begin where teacher left off yesterday with the defense of Fushimi Castle by Tori Mototada who was Tokugawa Iaseu's most senior vassel…this defense…."

"WHOMP!"

The room shuddered suddenly and prominently around class, so much that Ichiro had to grab the podium to steady himself. He looked up to see dust from the ceiling falling in a thin cloud over the student's heads…

"What the…..fuck?"

Room 307

Mister Hidogi's class.

"Now turn your books to page 134 please…"

"WHOMP!"

Hidogi jumped as the wall behind him vibrated hard enough to send the battery powered wall flying off past his head and crashing into one of the first row desks. He turned around sharply to watch the blackboard drop from its mountings to the floor…

"Eh?"

Nawate Street

Nagano Middle School Kendo dojo

"WHOMP!"

Naruto caught the blast from the corner of his eye and turned to see a pair of desks flying from the 3rd floor of the middle school and landing with a crash onto the front lawn.

"Holy shit! What the hell?" He said as he pointed.

Nawate Street

across from the Middle School

"WHOMP!"

Masashi Enoshima was looking towards the school when he saw the cloud come blasting out from one of the upper floors! He opened his cell phone and hit the red button on the side…

NAGANO 911 CALL CENTER

7:31AM 13 MAY 2012

Dispatcher: 9-1-1 Emergency dispatcher, what is your emergency?

Enoshima: I'm on Nawate Street and there's been an explosion at the 4th Middle School!

Dispatcher: Explosion where Sir?

Enoshima: One of the upper floors facing the front of the building. I hear screaming! Send the police!

Dispatcher: Stay on the line with me sir..

(Radio attention shrill)

Dispatcher: Attention all patrols…report of 10-80 at 4th Prefectorial Middle School. Closest units respond and give TOA to the 20 over."

7:32am

Patrol 9, Eboshi Parkway

Dispatcher: Attention all patrols…report of 10-80 at 4th Prefectorial Middle School. Closest units respond and give TOA to the 20 over."

Ban tripped the light and siren switch and pealed the cruiser out into the street and rounded the corner onto Homochi street going North….

"Dispatch, Patrol 9, TOA 3 Mikes K!"

"Affirm 9."

"So much for the mundane Sargent?!" Abe said with enthusiastic intensity.

"Probably a science lab experiment gone amok. We've had that before." Ban said as he heard other units responding on their radios…

"Dispatch, Patrol 4, TOA 10 Mikes K!"

"Affirm 4."

"Dispatch, Patrol 3, TOA 15 Mikes K!"

"Affirm 3."

"Dispatch, Patrol 1, TOA 8 Mikes K!"

"Affirm 1."

7:33am

3rd floor hallway

Nagano Middle School

Akemi was one of the first students to venture from their room and into the hallway after they heard and felt the concussive thump smack their surrounding rooms. Now there was screaming, blood curdling screaming coming from the room behind hers, 305. She and some other students were almost close to the doors when they suddenly smashed open and body came crashing to the floor!

Akemi felt something smack into her legs. She looked down to see a face looking back at her.. from a blood spurting head that had no body.

Her screaming sent the whole floor of students into a panic stampede for the central stairwell!

7:33am

2nd floor hallway

Nagano Middle School

Ichiro didn't need to be told anything as the screams above the room caused his class to go into flight. He ran out into the hallway and pulled the fire alarm!

"GET OUT! GET OUT NOW!" He screamed as he ran up and down the hallway throwing doors open and screaming at the students inside.

7:34am

Patrol 9 Rolls up from Nawate Street

Ban could see a cloud still pouring from one of the rooms at the front of the Middle School as he braked the cruiser to a sliding stop at the main gate to avoid hitting students who were running in terror as if their lives depended on their feet!

A teacher came running up franticly waving her arms and screaming…."They're killing them! They're killing them! Please!"

Abe jumped from his side of the cruiser and could hear the sounds of screaming coming from the smoking room. "We have hostiles Sarge!"

7:36am

Patrol 9 to Dispatcher

_Dispatch! Request immediate assistance at this location! Possible armed hostiles, situation unknown! 3__rd__ floor of Nagano Middle School! Follow on units with firearms! We need an immediate block cordon of the 20 K!_

Ban jumped from his seat and popped the trunk open…

"Dispatch! Patrol 9, Senior patrolman authorizing weapons release from the gun locker. Issuing one Mossburg 500 shotgun with ten rounds. One MP-5 machine gun with 30 rounds!" Ban threw the Mossburg to Abe then slapped a magazine into his machine gun and jacked the charging slide. He pushed Abe in front and followed him to the front entrance of the school.

"Damn! Too many kids coming out Sarge, we can't enter here." Abe said as he turned and pointed to the far end of the building. "The side stairs?"

"Hurry up!" Ban urged as he turned to look back up at the smoking room. He saw what looked like a boy flop over the ledge of the window above only to be pulled back into whatever was going on. The screaming was getting less and less with each step the two officers were making.

Abe grabbed the door to the side ladder well and drew his shotgun through the opening as he kicked the door away. "Clear!" He shouted as he and Ban slowly started climbing up.

"POLICE! IF YOU ARE IN THE STAIRWELL, PUT YOU HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM NOW!" Ban yelled as he scanned ahead and upwards as they rounded the landings. Half way up they ran into a group of kids, some of them holding their arms or legs in obvious pain.

7:40am

Patrol 9 to Dispatch

Patrol 9: Dispatch, Patrol 9, we need that support on the 20 now! Two officers on their way up to the 3rd floor! Request 10-20 EMT direct to this location, possible mass casualty situation! We have injured in the North access stairwell from falls K!

Dispatch: Affirm 9, Alarm 10-20 multiple in effect.

Dispatch: ALL available 10-20 units respond to Nagano Middle School, possible 10-80 with multiple injuries!

Vehicle Emergency 7: EMT Unit 7, Engine 3 responding to the 10-80 K! 20 Super Hotel departing!

7:40am

EMT Unit 7 Engine Company 3

At the Super Hotel Nagano

Emiko threw her medical bag into the cab and jumped into the driver's seat almost giving Hoshi no time to get in the back before she whipped the ambulance from the front of the hotel and screamed northwards with the siren blaring.

"A 10-80 multiple at a school? What the hell could be that flammable?" San Utaki asked as he started shoving medical items into the pockets of his jump suit.

"Whatever it was, judging by the responses on the radio it got a little out of hand."

7:40am

Nagano Middle School Kendo Gym

"What the fuck happened?" Naruto said as he started walking towards the school but got quickly snatched by Sasuke. "Let go man!"

"I think the police have enough people. We don't need to be anywhere near there right now."

Naruto snorted. "Fuck, did you see that?! The room just exploded! We got friends in there! Nori…Eshiri….damn it!"

Sasuke pulled Naruto into the gym as the sounds of sirens got louder all over the city.

7:42am

3rd floor, Nagano Middle School

Abe pushed the door open and slipped into the hallway. "Clear!" He snapped as he moved up and allowed Toshiro Ban to get behind him with the machine gun.

"Dispatch…Patrol 9…we're on the floor of the 10-80 call. Request status of follow on units K." Ban spoke into his shoulder mic.

"9…Dispatch….10-20 medical EOA 5 Mike, follow on Patrol 10-20 EOA 8 Mike. 10-41 SWAT roll 5 Mike K."

Abe swallowed. "If it's more than one…we're just speed bumps."

"Stop complaining. You wanted excitement?" Ban replied as they came up on a girl sitting by herself. She was shaking violently.

"She's not a victim." Ban said as he quickly looked her over. "She's in shock." He put a hand under her arm pit and pulled her into a nearby room, shutting her up inside. "Keep going" Jushiro said as he patted on Abe's shoulder. Slowly the officers moved closer to room 305 and they saw the body lying partway out with a pool of blood flowing from what was once a head…

"Son of a bitch…" Abe said to himself as he stopped short of the doorway.

Ban keyed his shoulder mic…"Dispatch, Patrol 9…One Eighty Six K. We're outside the 10-80 location now."

"9 Affirm. 20 and 1 86 K."

Abe was nervous as hell. Slowly he craned his head around the door jam and snapped it back. "Oh fuck…fuck this is bad."

Ban steadied him. "On my three, we go in together, watch where you step."

7:42am

FOX NEWS ALERT

"This is Ben Dutton of our Fox affiliate in Tokyo. We've been following breaking news of an airliner crash in Nagasaki after ANA Flight 004 was reported to have exploded in mid-air shortly after take-off and now we have unconfirmed reports, these are not confirmed, of an explosion at a Middle School in Nagano…this is starting to look like something ominous perhaps, we don't know but we had a plane bound to Nagano that has reportedly exploded and now we have an explosion in the city of Nagano.

7:44am

Room 305, Nagano Middle School

"Three!" Abe took a deep breath and rolled through the doorway to the left while Toshiro went to the right. Blood was everywhere…splashed on the walls, dripping from the ceiling, pooling in rivers and lakes at their feet. Abe looked down and recoiled as he saw his foot stepping on the entrails of a girl's inners…her upper body had been completely severed from the lower half, which was somewhere in the accumed gore around them.

"Ugh! Fuck!" Abe screamed. "Mother of God FUCK!"

Toshiro reached out and snatched Abe by his vest. "Breath…just…..just keep your mind on what you're doing…." Ban slowly made his way around the room. There wasn't much hope from what he was seeing.

"Dispatch….patrol 9 is inside the 20 on the 10-80…multiple 86, I say again….multiple 86. No sign of hostiles. Advise EOD for possible further 10-80 threats, need to clear. Request multiple 10-41 and an on scene Commander expedite K."

"9, Dispatch affirm. Commander in route. 20 shall be Nawate and Hamachi K."

Abe head something from the back of the room and called to Toshiro…"I have a live one! This kid's still alive!"

7:46am

Ganta could barely hear someone as he felt something rub his cheek…"Kid? Kid? Come on kid, stay with me…."

The man took one of Ganta's hands and rubbed it. "You're ok kid, just hang in there. What happened? Who did this? Can you understand me?"

Ganta weakly put his hand to his chest. How could he still be alive? The bastard shot him point blank and yet he was still alive? It could be his last moments, it had to have been a fatal shot…just a few more minutes and he'd be with Mimi forever.

Ban looked at Abe. "We can't stay here, we have to get this kid out." Ban pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and put it on the floor to mark where Ganta was found before he pulled Ganta off the floor and threw him over a shoulder in a fireman's carry.

"Dispatch…Patrol 9. We found one survivor. Teenage male. Code 40. Scene extraction now to arriving EMT K!" Ban said into his mic as Ganta reached a feeble hand out to Abe.

"Red man…big guy…he…." Ganta gripped Abe's shoulder as he felt himself passing out again.

"We better go sarge. I think he's in a bad way."

"Yeah…there's nothing more we can do." Ban acknowledged the obvious as he and Abe slowly retreated from the gore around them.

7:47am

Ichiro stood with the other students and people who had came from the surrounding buildings as the sounds of sirens grew ever louder all over the city. The first emergency vehicle screamed by and didn't stop as it flew threw the gated opening of the school grounds and screetched to a stop in front of the main entrance…

Emiko jumped from the cab and banged her hand on the aside of the rig…"Let's go! Get out the trauma bags, set up the laptop, lay the tarps around the rig!" She grabbed San by the arm. "Get your kit, we're going up." She turned to see a teacher running up to her. "What do we have?"

"I don't know." The man replied. "There was an explosion, I heard the kids inside screaming, two police officers went up…some one was killing them…"

Emiko stopped the teacher as two cops suddenly came from the front door, one holding a kid in his arms. "EMT Wataru…"

"Take this kid." Ban said as he passed Ganta over. "I think he's in shock, may have internal injuries. You won't need to go up there, the rest are 86."

Emiko begged Ban to slow down. "What happened? What did you see?""

Ban shook his head. "It's hell….it's fucken hell."

Emiko turned to Gonza and Hoshi. "Take care of this one, make him ready for transport, Me and San are going up there. Dispatch, EMT Unit 7, Engine 3 is at the 20 of the 10-80, have taken custody of one survivor. Alert multiple 10-41's to the 20 ASAP multiple 86, multiple 86 K!"

"Affirm EMT 7, Multiple 10-41 alert call, Fujimori alerted to multiple casualty event K."

7:47am

FM 357 The Magnum

The Rick Dee's show

"Ladies and gentlemen, I've just been handed another bulletin, this one from USAFRTS. There has been an explosion at the 4th Prefectorial Middle School in Nagano, this happened about 7:30 our time. We're getting text messages now, some saying it's a terrorist attack, others saying it was a science lab explosion. At this moment we're not going to give anything definitive but this morning is certainly becoming somewhat frantic."

7:48am

Nawate and Homachi streets outside Nagano Middle School

The white SUV slid to a stop and a National Police Captain dressed in his resplendent blue uniform hopped out and started giving orders to his orderly as he came from the driver's side…

"Mushin, table here….set up the radio, the satellite phone and the lap top." The officer walked the street and caught each police car as it came up. "You two, take the back gate, you two take the front gate, no one goes in unless they have my signed authority."

He walked further and caught the first black armored truck loaded with SWAT police. "Lieutenant Yamagataki…send five armed men into the school and clear it room by room, seal off the 3rd floor, no one gets up there without my signed authority."\

"Sir!" Captain Totamo turned to see Ban and Abe walking up. "Patrol 9 reporting."

"Give me it quick. Was it a 10-80 and what does it look like?" He asked sternly.

"It was a device Sir." Ban replied in near military robotics. "The room is full of bodies, parts of bodies, blood's all over the place. We secured a survivor, marked his spot, gave him to EMT 7"

"Mushin!" Totamo called to his orderly who came running over in quick steps. "Contact Fujimori Hospital, tell them that depending on the survivor's condition I want a criminal examination head to foot, the full works. As for you officers I want your full depositions right now then both of you get to Fujimori and organize a protective detail for the survivor, I don't want these scum trying to take out our only witness."

"These scum Sir?" Abe asked.

"The National government isn't taking any chances. It's a national emergency. Because of the crash this morning and now this we're declaring the nation under terrorist threat. We're to seal off Nagano….close the roads, stop the trains, down the planes and sweep the streets."

7:48am

FOX NEWS ALERT

"This is Ben Dutton of our Fox affiliate in Tokyo. The Japanese government has now declared that a state of terrorist threat exists. This in response to an explosion at the 4th Prefectorial Middle School in Nagano which officials are now calling a bombing with "significant" I repeat "significant" casualties. The Head Captain of the National Constabulary Force in Japan is preparing to make a national address in about ten minutes."

"This just in…The National transit Authority in Japan has issued an order to stop all trains in the country and ground all outgoing flights and immediately land those now airborne without delay.

7:48am

Ambulance in transit to Fujimori Hospital in Nagano

Ganta awoke to a blurry and confused world. "Hello?...can you understand me?" Asked an EMT as he sat taking Ganta's blood pressure and waving a pen light over the boy's eyes. "Blood pressure is 70 over 70, pulse is 76, respiration shallow."

"Mimi?...Wakamatsu…everybody…."

"Easy kid, just be quiet and don't excite yourself. You're on your way to the hospital." The tech said as he wiped Ganta's face with a wet towel.

"Red man…some big guy…fucken bastard…."

"It's best you stay quiet kid. If you have any serious injuries, you might make them worse." The EMT tech said as he looked Ganta over. "So far I don't see anything serious."

"He shot me….my chest." Ganta complained but the tech shook his head and kept looking.

7:59am

FM 357 The Magnum

The Rick Dee's show

"This is the Rick Dees Program…(dramatic to somber music)…"Good morning Japan it's 8am on what has been and can only be described as a difficult morning as Japan is on virtual lock down fearing further possible acts by terrorists for what reasons we simply don't know. To re-cap this morning so far…an All Nippon Airways Boeing 737….flight 004, exploded shortly after taking off from Nagasaki after 7am. Then at 7:30 a bomb reportedly went off in a crowded classroom at the 4th Prefectorial Middle School in Nagano. Reports and text coming here suggest horrendous casualties."

"Right now we're awaiting a statement from the Head Captain of the National Constabulary Force, Captain Watanabe Ukitake on how Japan is responding to this potential threat. While we're waiting for that, we can report so far that both Domestic and International flight departures have been stopped. All JNR rail traffic has stopped. The City of Nagano is rapidly turning into a fortress….here comes the spokesman now…

"_Good morning. I am Lieutenant Kurabyashi, liaison to those of you of the foreign press from the office of Head Captain Ukitake. At this moment, Japan is facing a serious situation. In response to events in Nagasaki and Nagano, the Government has declared that a state of terrorist threat exists. At this moment….the National Constabulary Force and the Ministry of National Defense are reacting to meet this unprecedented threat to the Japanese nation."_

"_As of moments ago…all domestic and international flights in Japan have been stopped. International inbound flights that have not reached their half way points are being ordered not to proceed to Japan. For those that have gone beyond their half way points, they will face aggressive customs enforcement measures upon arrival."_

"_The Japanese National Rail system has suspended services for the moment. Service will resume in limited function between 5pm and 7pm to handle the evening commute."_

"_The City of Nagano has closed all roads, its rail and commuter services and the inter-service regional airport. All roads are now blockaded with security check points and the local and national police forces are engaged in systematic searches of the city. As of this moment there is no description or identity of the suspect or suspects involved in these events. We are working diligently to confirm these as terrorist events."_

"_We urge all citizens to be vigilant and steadfast but maintain calm. Co-operate with your local officials and law enforcement representatives. We urge all foreign visitors to please follow all orders and directions given by our authorities, please refrain from challenging or questioning them at this time."_

"_When more details come to light, we will announce further briefings. This briefing will not allow questions to be asked. We must refrain from causing wild speculation or rumor to do further damage in this difficult and delicate situation. Thank you for your understanding."_

"That was a spokesman for the National Police Force. I'm sure we'll soon hear from the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister as the day progresses. An update from Nagasaki. The death toll is now reported to be 328, most were on the ground in the residential area where flight 004 crashed."

8:10am

Nawate Street near Nagano Middle School

Naruto was fighting to get a good look at the growing scene of emergency vehicles pouring into the school yard and around the perimeter walls. He came face to face with a riot policeman dressed in Samurai like body armor who pushed the boy back into the ever growing crowd with a glove to his face…

"Get off me you prick!" The blonde Japanese boy yelped before Sasuke snatched him up.

"If that was my brother he'd beat the shit out of you." Sasuke snorted as he snatched an ear and dragged Naruto protesting back through the crowd. "I told you idiot…let the police do their work and don't be a annoyance."

In a few minutes, a police SUV drove up to the front of the crowd and an officer climbed on it with a bull horn…

"Attention please! In five minutes the riot police will close all roads within two blocks of the school in order to preserve the site. If you do not have family members who attend Mrs. Azumi Noda's class, please return to you homes or places of work and stay there! Family members of those who attend Mrs. Noda's class, will you please proceed to the left of the front gate entrance and await further instructions."

Sasuke felt a tug on his arm and turned to see Hinata Usuma, Akiharo's little sister. Her brother and Sasuke were Kendo partners who practiced together all the time…among other things Sasuke didn't talk about.

"Have you seen Aki?" She asked timidly.

"Not since last night." Sasuke replied. He knew Aki was in that classroom, he was sure of it and inside…though he wasn't showing it…he was sick. "Since my brother's a cop, I'm sure no one will mind if I take you to the front gate Hinata-chan. Where's your parents?"

"I tried to call them but the lines are not working." She said. "Will you take me Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke nodded and took Hinata's hand.

8:10am

Fujimori General Hospital Emergency Room

Ganta had regained some consciousness and he felt the wetness covering his lower body. He'd pissed all over himself like a miserable coward? His friends had died all around him and all he could manage to do was cry like a pathetic weakling, grovel like a little bitch and piss himself? He felt tears rolling down his face as he was lifted from the rolling gurney to the emergency room table.

A doctor in scrubs walked up and leaned over…"Ganta? Ganta-Kun?"

Ganta gritted his teeth and tried to steel himself but he started sobbing.."I couldn't….Mimi… Mimi oh God!"

"You're at Fugimori Hospital son. You were caught in an explosion, do you understand?"

Ganta nodded and shook his head. "Mimi! Yamakatsu…I'm sorry….I'm sorry…."

"Ganta…you don't appear to be seriously injured. We have to do a full examination for the police to get any evidence that we can. Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Mimi…." Ganta cried…."He cut off her head! MIMI!"

"Ganta?" The doctor asked again. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No!" Ganta replied. "Chest….he shot me in the chest…"

The doctor looked at Ganta's chest. "There's no wound…Nurse? Chest X-rays. Let's get this examination done as quickly as possible…

Ganta snatched the Doctor by the arm. "Doctor? The guy…big…over 6 foot tall…wearing torn up clothes….metal boots….a helmet…..metal gloves…..tell the police…..find the mother fucker…kill him….please…." Ganta went limp and passed out again.

"He's gone into shock…nurse, prepare the shock kit and get this description to the officers outside now!" The doctor passed the note then turned back to Ganta. "Ganta-kun? You have to stay awake son, do you understand me?"

8:15am

Nagano Middle school

Emiko and San emerged from the school and threw their bags down on the grass before sitting on the tarps shaking their heads in disbelief and sickness.

"How bad?" Gonza asked. "How many?"

"It looks like a meat market up there." Emiko replied saddened. "29 kids man…29 kids…" Emiko got up and grabbd her kit bag. "Store everything up, our job's done." She started walking to the cab when she stopped and pounded on the side of the rig. "Fuck! They didn't have a chance! The ass holes butchered a bunch of kids! Why mother fuckers….why!"

8:15am

Toiyo Finance building construction site

Ota was measuring an I-Beam for placement when his team leader walked up to him. "Ota, stop what you're doing and come down to the foreman's desk."

Ota soon joined a group of workers clustered around the foreman as he stood on top of his planning desk. "There's been…" He looked over the crowd. How do you say anything like this? Especially after your wife calls you screaming that your daughter's missing and they just announced her teacher's name on the television?

"There's been….something terrible at the Middle School…if your child was in Mrs. Noda's class? You need to go to the school right now. I'm leaving."

Ota pulled his cell phone from his pocket and started dialing. "Hey Ota? You going there right away?" Asked Tashi Fusan, who's daughter Chiro was in that class.

"I have to pick up the wife first." Ota replied as he read the text on the screen and pursed his lips. "There's been an explosion Tashi."

The man's face dropped. "Oh no…"

"Come on. We'll take my car." Ota said as he led Tashi from the job site. "How bad? Don't lie to me Ota…"

"It looks bad….they think it's terrorism."

8:20am

Command desk

Nagano Middle School

Captain Totamo saw the man in the khaki long coat get out of his car and talk to an officer some feet away before he came up to the desk.

"Tadio." Totamo said stiffly with a salute. "The building and grounds are secured."

"Is it as bad as I hear?" Tadio Towashi, Chief of Investigations asked as he took off his hat and looked at the school.

"29…yes….it's horrific." Totamo replied. "We're setting up a mortuary service tent near the gym, that's where the families will be sequestered. The building has been swept and secured. I have men on the third floor building two clean containments and the supply crew just pulled up to stage them with scrubs and booties for your team."

Tadio nodded. "Good work. So far no group has claimed any responsibility but we have idiots calling in bomb threats, stupid jokes….one ass hole even said he represented the Galactic Hall of Justice. Why are there so many dumb bastards in this world?"

8:39am

Nagano Police Department HQ

Secretary Higashi Kogo walked into the broadcasting room and handed the duty officer a sheet of paper…"Get this out at once."

NAGANO POLICE DEPARTMENT

ALL POINTS BULLITEN DISPATCHER RECORD

DATE: 13 MAY 2012

TIME: 8:37AM

NOTIFICATION SENT TO

Patrol units

National constabulary HQ

National Media Television

National Media Radio

National Media Internet services

National transportation security Ministry

Message

National alert. Suspect wanted in the mass homicide attack at Nagano Prefectural Middle School at 7:30 am, 13 May 2012. Suspect is male, possibly foreigner, between 6 to 6.5 feet in height. Strong build. Wearing helmet of some design. Tattered dark clothing. Metal gloves or gauntlets of some design. Last seen by witness before perpetration of the act.

**SUSPECT IS CONSIDERED HIGHLY DANGEROUS AND HEAVILLY ARMED WITH UNKNOWN WEAPON AND OR HIGH EXPLOSIVES. MAXIMUM WEAPONS RELEASE AUTHORIZED FOR ALL OFFICERS AND PATROL UNITS. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO APREHEND THIS SUSPECT ALONE. ALL CITIZENS ARE ADVISED TO REPORT SIGHTINGS TO AUTHORITIES, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CONTACT THIS SUSPECT!**

"You got it." The duty officer replied.

8:40am

Magnum Radio 357FM

Rick Dees Show

"Ladies and Gentlemen we now have a suspect in the Nagano School bombing. The individual is suspected to be a foreigner over 6 foot tall, large build, wearing tattered clothing, a helmet, metal gloves…not what I'd think a terrorist would look like but here it is. I still can't and most of you probably share my feelings, I still can't see why? Why Japan? This country goes far out of its way not to offend anyone and with sound reasoning if you remember history. And to attack a school? What do a group of children who haven't done a damn thing have to do with someone's beef?

"More news and it just gets worse and worse…NHK now reports that 29 children were killed in Nagano. The death toll in Nagasaki is now 368 and may go higher. There's been a total of 38 bomb threats around the country, most some….sorry I just want to vent I'm so pissed….these idiots need their asses kicked."

8:45am

Nagano Middle School front gate

Sasuke saw his older brother and waved as he held Hinata by the hand. "Itachi!"

"You're not supposed to be up here Sasuke." Itachi said as he walked up and thumped his little brother off the forehead.

"Cut that out." Sasuke complained. "Hinata's brother was in Mrs. Nota's class and her parents aren't here yet."

Itachi reached a hand out. "I'll take her inside kid. You go home. The department's talking about a curfew."

Sasuke looked around and snatched Itachi by his arm, dragging him reluctantly away from Hinata. "What's going on?" Sasuke demanded. "What happened? Is it really bad?"

Itachi moaned. "Just go home Sasuke? Mother's probably throwing your name in fits."

Sasuke blocked Itachi from leaving. "What is it?! You can tell me something you know, I'm not going to blab it all over Japan."

Itachi knew Sasuke would bug the shit out of him so he pulled the boy further from the crowds and other police. "You will keep your trap shut…there's only one survivor. All the other kids in that room were killed. Now go the fuck home little brother."

Sasuke's mouth quivered, his face became drawn, he started breathing faster…trying not to cry. He turned to walk away but felt his legs turn to mush as the emotions hit him like a fist in the chest. He dropped to the sidewalk sobbing…the usually stoic 15 year old broke down emotionally…"Akiharo!" he cried over and over as he pounded the pavement with his fists. "YOU MURDERING BASTARDS!"

8:48am

Police Command Post

Nagano Middle School

An officer scanned over the identification, wrote the names in the log book and directed the small group of people to the main entrance. "The medical examiners are here."

Kanma Odawara had been doing crime scenes for years in Yokohama, nothing new. Though she looked over at the virgin out of Osaka who barely scrapped a few minor non-bloody suicides since leaving the police academy. She turned to the group of ten before going inside. "Alright. We have a bomb scene with unfortunate deceased. What do you think we're going to see?" She looked right at the poor newbie.

"A mess?" He replied.

"Short on technical specifics but that's about right. The photographers are still on site, they should be starting to finish by the time we arrive. We'll be in scrubs and booties with masks and gloves. If you cut yourself, get out at once. If you ingest any of the deceased bodily fluids, get out at once. If you're going to puke, please don't do it on the crime scene. Be respectful, be professional…and try not to freak out."

8:50am

Fujimori General Hospital

Toshiro Ban and Kenji Abe stood with an armed platoon of police outside the hospital going over the building's floor plans and plotting routes of escape in case they needed to get Ganta Igarashi out under fire or prevent something catastrophic from hitting the building.

"I've called headquarters to request water and concrete barricades for both drive entries into the Emergency and General access wards. Every vehicle gets searched even if it's emergency and they are to stop. They don't stop, you shoot the tires first then where the driver sits. We are to protect the survivor at all costs."

In Emergency, Ganta had regained consciousness but the doctor had given him a pill to calm him down. He lay uncomfortably as a nurse worked to stich the cut in his left cheek from the glass slice he took during the explosion…

"Why them? Why did I get to live and all my friends end up dead?" He said to himself.

"You're a Tokyo survivor too?" The nurse said as she wiped alcohol across Ganta's cheek.

"Yeah…my mother died then too." Ganta said sleepishly. "She got crushed by a concrete slab. When I woke up, I was still holding her hand…the rest of here was smooshed. She died, I lived. My friends die, I fucken lived. That's luck huh?"

"You shouldn't torture yourself. It could be that you're destined for something, like a good player being held for the stretch innings in a big championship game."

The nurse didn't know how pissed she just made Ganta feel but he wasn't going to tongue lash her, not her fault. The doctor came back in with Toshiro Ban. "You're going to be put into a room by yourself Ganta. This officer will be outside the door if you need him for anything just ask for it."

"My Dad? My Dad was flying home today from Nagasaki? If I give you his cell phone do you think someone could call him and let him know I'm ok?" Ganta asked.

"I'll make sure that's done." The doctor replied.

May 12, 2012 6PM New York

NBC NIGHTLY NEWS with Brian Williams

Announcer: This is an NBC NEWS SPECIAL REPORT. Here in New York, Brian Williams.

Brian Williams: Good Evening. We begin tonight recapping events in Japan up to this point. As we reported earlier, Japan has experienced what may be and we emphasis "may be" until Japanese officials confirm what the evidence is presenting, an unprecedented attack of terrorism on their soil. It began early on the morning of May 13th Tokyo time with the explosion and crash of an All Nippon Airways passenger jet into a heavily populated suburb. Minutes later a bomb ripped through a classroom at a Middle School in Nagano Japan…so far the death toll from both incidents hovers over 400 and has sent the typically peaceful country into a flurry of marshal activity it hasn't experienced since World War II. We are joined tonight by our correspondents here and in Japan…

Amy Flynn is in Nagano.

Ryan McNeal is in Nagasaki.

Here in our studios is NBC expert on terrorism, Doctor Joesef Broadansky. Ryan we'll begin with you, what can you tell us so far about the crash of that commercial airliner?

Ryan McNeal: Brian, at this point the initial investigation is still pointing to the possibility that this was a bomb hidden aboard ANA Flight 004, their working from eyewitness testimony and the initial investigation of the crash site. One survivor on the ground described the crash as a maelstrom of heat, a tsunami of flames that raced down these crowded streets and literally bulldozed homes flat. There was no chance for those caught in the path of flight 004 as it spiraled to a crash in two separate pieces. There were 124 passengers and 7 crewmembers on the commercial flight. The death toll here is now 381 people…Brian.

Amy Flynn: This is Amy Flynn in Nagano. It was a scene unprecedented in Japan, teams of heavily armed police, their rifles drawn, searched through every house and every street of Nagano for the suspect they believe attacked the 4th Prefectorial Middle School just as classes were starting around 7:30 in the morning. Everywhere in Nagano from the now closed train station to every major street and highway out of the city, the police presence is overwhelming. The school itself and two blocks around it have been closed off as investigators pour through the wreckage of room 305 where some 29 bodies lie after a bomb exploded among the students inside. The soul survivor, a 14 year old boy, is said to be under guard at a nearby hospital, his condition unknown. As for the rest of Japan, the country is under lock down and full martial law may be imposed. Schools across Japan have been canceled and the Self Defense Force placed on high alert. News from Government sources say if it was a terrorist attack, Japan may respond with military force….Brian.

Brian Williams: Thank you Amy, we are now joined by NBC terrorism advisor Doctor Joesef Broadansky, he was an advisor on international terrorism to five U.S. Presidents. Doctor this event is certainly unprecedented for Japan, especially on this scale. The last time I can remember anything like this was when the Aum cult used nerve gas in the Tokyo subway system. What's your opinion? Why Japan and who did it?

Joesef Broadansky: I think the why is as perplexing to me as it might be to many, Japan since World War II has gone to great lengths not to offend anyone, certainly there are many bad actors that come up to the front of the list…Al Queda might have chosen Japan because it's a soft target. North Korea has nothing but enmity for Japan. There's the Red Army, a radical communist movement in Japan, has done bombings since the 1960's and then there's Aum Shuriki, their leader has been in prison since 1996 but the cult is a powerful underground movement still bent on following the will of their spiritual leader. Bombing a commercial airliner is one thing Brian but a school may be the tipping point for Japan, we remember the Russian response in Chechnya after the Besslan school massacre in 2005. If this was a North Korean terrorist attack or Al Queda, Japan could use Article 9 of the Constitution which permits armed defense when attacked. We could see things seriously spiral out of control in the Asian Pacific Theater if this was a state sponsored event and we don't know if this is the end of it yet.

Brian Williams: Thank you Doctor Boradansky.

9:10am

Room 305 Nagano Middle School

Kanma peered into the room while the photographers were still taking pictures and recording everything. One of them, Kenichi Kido, carefully walked through the horror around him and emerged to take pictures of the headless boy at his feet.

"Any observations you want to pass to me Ken?" Kanma said as she knelt near the poor boy's body.

"Yes…The spread of blood is crazy. It's on the ceiling, I mean….all over the ceiling. You'd think a bomb blast would throw everything outwards towards the walls and the far parts of the ceiling but it's all over the place. Another thing is the kid's clothes, we should see torn everything…even some with their clothes torn off by the blast? All of them have everything on and nothing's ripped up from what I know I should be seeing."

Kanma looked over the body. "The weapon must have been clean then, no shrapnel producing parts. It doesn't appear to be Middle Eastern designed, a classic Middle East IED usually has nails, ball bearings, glass, metal scrap…"

Kanma stopped to pull out a magnifying glass and scanned it over the part of the neck where the head was severed from. "that's curious…looks like his head was cut off, not blasted off." She turned to one of her partners. "Note that? We should carefully check the rest for wounds like this."

9:15am

Nagano Middle School Gym

Ota and Megumi Sasamu and Tashi Fusan and his wife Kio were being escorted into the Gym by a police officer who stopped them short of the basketball court. "Please tell me how much you have heard so far? We wish to prevent the spread of rumors and cause you lesser difficulty for now."

Ota rubbed his head. "Tashi and I we at work and we only know what our foreman told us, that something bad had happened with Mrs. Noda's class. I heard it was some sort of terrorism. Our wives have been watching the news reports."

The officer gestured right. "Please join that group over there? When we are ready, our senior officer will brief all of you. We have provided you with food and medical services should you need them."

9:20am

Girls locker room, Nagano Middle School gym

Rhukia Kutchki was putting the finishing touches on her shoes with pledge polish while Momo Hinamori sat polishing the buttons on her police uniform top. Nothing was easy in such assignments, Rhukia had been doing them far longer than Momo but that didn't mean she was comfortable in doing it.

"Consolment", easing of the bereaved fell to the department when death by crime was involved. Going to a house and telling parents their child had died in a car accident on a motorbike was one thing…telling them their child was murdered with heartless cruelty was totally different. Momo paused for a moment in self doubt.

"You all right?" Rhukia asked as she slipped on her shoes.

"I don't know if I can go through with this. This….this is worse than any assignment I've had to deal with…you're seasoned at it, I've never handled something this…..this terrible, this enormous…I don't know if I can handle so many devastated people."

Rhukia walked up and touched Momo's hand. "We do this to ease their suffering and show the resolve of the department. The first thing these people need is both a strong presence of dignity and resolve then the hand that cares and soothes. This is important for them and for those who were cowardly taken from them, they must know that others care and that first presence in the face of such evil is important."

Momo nodded. "I needed that…thank you Sargent."

"We'll wait until the On-Scene Commander has spoken to them before we go out there so take a few minutes to compose yourself….and pray for him, his burden is exceptionally hard."

9:35am

Uchiha Residence

Sasuke came in to the relief of his mother, who rushed to wrap him in a tight hug. "Thank God!" She uttered. "I'm so glad you weren't there…have you seen your brother?"

"Yeah….he's there." Sasuke snorted, he wasn't in the mood for her fawning…he wasn't in the mood for anything now except his room. "Mom…please leave me alone for a while?"

"Of course dear, I understand. Your borther and father will be working late I'm sure. If you need anything?"

Sasuke tried to fight crying but his mother could see it…if it had been his father, he would have been callus and called Sasuke something vile. His mother wrapped herself around him again…"Let it come out…you don't have to worry about crying when it's just us…"

"Sasuke allowed himself to break down for once as he buried his face into his mother's soft bussum and cried for his secret love.

9:38am

Fujimori Hospital

Ganta awoke sitting up and screaming loudly till a nuse came in to comfort him. The drug they gave him was causing some bad reactions, one minute he was kissing Mimi in impassioned love, the next he was kissing her cut off head and that red bastard was whipping it about like some sick self-gratifying trophy!

Ganta looked about the room, then at the nurse, then he caught his mouth in his hand and leand over to puke into the bucket the woman had deftly snatched from the floor. She sat for a moment cleaning his face with a wet towel before easing him back down onto the pillow.

"I'll stay until you can sleep again." She said. Her presence made him feel better.

"Where's my Dad? Has anyone tried to call him? He should be in Nagano by now." Ganta said as he lay silently cursing himself again about how pathetic he acted. Disgusting that he was left whimping like a sorry little dog, pissing all over himself while others died around him. He turned away from the nurse so she wouldn't see him acting like a baby.

9:46am

Room 305, Nagano Middle School

Kanma stood over a girl who lay atop a desk with the front of all her clothing torn open and parts of her insides protruding from the deep cut that ran from between her legs to the middle of her neck. Slowly she probed with a pair of plastic covered tools between the fissure that split the girl's heart in two. "This was not done by the bomb, that's obvious. Come look at this Yuta?"

Yuta Zante, a Chilean Japanese who'd seen his fair share of hand weapon type killings in places like Columbia and Mexico, walked up with a magnifying head rig and examined the body. "Cut from her vagina to the neck…even the spinal column's been cut into…son of a bitch."

Kama looked over the edges of the cut flesh with astonishment. "Will you look at this? No tearing of flesh, muscle…no jagged edges. This is surgically perfect."

Yuta kept looking along the wound with higher resolution lenses. "We'll need to hold two or three of these bodies for detailed analysis. See if we can get samples of the material from the weapon. Need to call a blade expert to try and type this."

Kanma looked around the room. "This explains the blood dispersal that's inconsistent with bomb blast patterns…this means most of these kids survived the explosion only to have the bastard cut them up…we better inform the scene commander."

9:52am

Police Command Post

Nagano Middle School

Captain Totamo took the phone from Mushin. "Captain Totamo."

"Sir…it's Kanma. There's new information you should know. Not all the students were killed by a bomb. We have evidence of a bladed weapon."

Captain Totamo groaned. "I'm to meet with the families in a few minutes…I think for now we won't release that information. You're sure of this?"

"From what I'm seeing? Yes Sir. We need a hand weapons expert to classify this thing, I've never seen such precise cutting."

Totamo turned to Mushin. "Call the university of Yokohama and get a metallurgy engineer with bladed weapons knowledge down here."

"Keep me informed Kanma." Totamo said as he gave the phone to Mushin. "Get that out on the inter-service message channel. Suspect armed with bladed weapon. I'm going to meet with the families."

9:56am

Nuku Nuku Coffee shop

What would normally be a busy morning with the music blasting and people getting their dose of coffee, turned into a silent and somber place full of students, some parents and people who chose a wiser course to ditch work and go home. The police had already swept the shop clean and every few minutes an officer would walk in requesting a box load of coffee and pastry. People asked questions in vein of course…the police weren't offering anything but the standard…"The investigation process is on-going."

Naruto sat with Sakura and the class president Toshiro Hitsugaya watching the news…

"Where's prick?" Naruto snorted. Sakura slapped him hard.

"Will you stop thinking of yourself! Can't you see what's happened?!" She snapped.

"I saw it!" Naruto shouted. "I saw the whole thing in my face Sakura!" He stood puffing till Hitsugaya grabbed his arm.

"Naruto…sit. Getting angry and trying to hold yourself back accomplishes nothing." Toshiro said as he sat making notes.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked with a cocked head.

"Planning our memorial service." Toshiro said calmly. He looked at Naruto pursing his lips. "And if you call me heartless and get all pissy, go ahead. But this is my responsibility given what the news reports are saying."

"It's just….it's just hard to believe…" Naruto replied with his eyes screwed shut. "I just talked to some of them this morning! Just a few hours ago! Why them? What did we do to deserve this?"

Toshiro sighed. "That's not our responsibility right now. Ours is to their families and our school mates. We have to show these…scum that they hurt us but they will never defeat us. As class president, I must present a united front and show our friend's parents that they did not die for nothing."

Sakura frowned. "For God's sakes Toshiro…this isn't war."

Toshiro frowned back. "It could very well be war by days end. We all have some growing up to do real quick. I have to meet with Miss Rongiku…see you both later."

9:58am

NHK Broadcast

Daikumatsu Department Store, Nagano

"_This is Michikado Todaishima atop the Nagano Daikumatsu in downtown Nagano. We are three blocks from the Nagano Middle School viewing the activities of the police and investigators as they continue to process this morning's horrific crime scene where 29 Middle School students were murdered by what is believed to be an act of terrorism."_

"_To the right of the school building…you can see the gymnasium where immediate family members are being sequested pending notification. We expect the on scene Commander to make that notification shortly. The blue tent to the right of the gym and the covered causeway from the back door of the school is where the mortuary team will receive and prepare the bodies of the victims as each is processed by the investigation."_

"_The Nagano Police will give us a briefing by the on Scene Commander within an hour. We expect him to give us more complete information on the crime at that time. This is Michikado Todaishima for NHK News."_

9pm

12 May 2012 New York Time

NBC NEWS SPECIAL REPORT

(NBC NEWS CHIME)

Announcer: This is an NBC Special Report. Here in New York is Brian Williams.

Brian Williams: Good Evening, in just moments from now the President is expected to make a statement about the situation in Japan in light of news reports that among those killed aboard ANA flight 004 in Nagasaki were 17 Americans. The President will make his statement from the White House Press Room in the West Wing, he will not be taking questions though tonight in Japan and here in the United States there are plenty for the President to answer. Here now is the President of the United States…

"_My fellow Americans…our friends, the citizens of Japan. Tonight our nation extends its deepest condolences for the families of those who lost their lives today in these terrible events. It is important to remember that though speculations and rumors are abound as to the cause and nature of these tragic incidents, we must not rush to judgment nor force undue pressure upon those responsible for conducting a complete and accurate investigation of the causes for these tragedies. In response to the fact that the ANA flight was an aircraft manufactured by the United States, representatives of the Boeing Aircraft Corporation, The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are now in route to Nagasaki to aid in the investigation."_

"_The services of the United States Department of Justice shall be at the avail of the Japanese government upon request. Should these incidents be proven as acts of terrorism, the United States will be ready to assist the Japanese people in finding those responsible and bringing them swiftly to justice. Once again…to the people of Japan, to the families of those who have perished, My family and our country offer you our dear friends our deepest condolences."_

10am

Gymnasium, Nagano Middle School.

Rhukia and Momo snapped to attention as Captain Totamo walked up to them in front of the doors to the gym floor.

"Sir! Sargent Kutchki and Patrolman Hinamori, Console assignment detail." Rhukia said stiffly.

Captain Totamo saluted back. "You both understand the great responsibility you will have in the next few minutes? The gravity involved? Speak now…no shame in saying you can't do it."

Momo bowed. "It is an honor to represent the Department Sir,"

Totamo ushered the officers behind him and stood for a moment to compose himself. There was no formal pre-write, no standard for how to go about such a grim task, he had to hope he would do enough…."Let us proceed."

Ota turned in his chair to see a Constabulant Captain emerge with two officers trailing behind him and he knew…he just knew this was going to be bad. He turned to his wife, looked her in the eyes and felt her hand tighten around his. Already there was some soft sobbing starting among the crowd of worried adults as the Captain took a place in front of the assembled seats.

Totamo took one long breath, keeping his face composed and expressionless as he looked at the poor people before him…

"Ladies and Gentlemen. I am Captain Totamo of the National Constabulant Force. Behind me are Sargent Kutchki and Patrolman Hinomori. First I apologize for confiscating your cell phones at the door. We did this to spare you of unsubstantiated rumors and unwarranted stress. We shall return them after I speak."

"As some of you know by now, All Nippon Airways flight 004 from Nagasaki to Nagano, exploded after take off this morning. There has been a substantial loss of life."

"Shortly after that event, at 7:30 this morning. An explosive device detonated in room 305 of this school, Miss Noda's class. There were 30 students assigned, 30 students were at their desks when the device detonated."

"It is with great regret that I must inform you that of the 30 students…29 are deceased."

Rhukia and Momo watched as what wisp of hope could have remained among those assembled, it vanished in a mili-second. The sound of grief and despair all but shook the building…woman collapsing into their husbands, fathers pounding their fists into the wooden floor, others jumping up throwing swears and curses of unleashed hate on invisible killers or shaking their fists at the poor Captain…

"Ladies and Gentlemen please!" Totamo implored. "Please!"

It took minutes before the now crying mass settled down. Ota picked his grieving wife off the floor and settled her back into a chair, himself not sure he could hold himself together as he felt his teeth cracking under the sress they were under from his anger.

"Ladies and Gentlemen…" Captain Totamo continued. "Rest assured…we of the constabulary will not rest until the killer or killers are found. I must with great pain inform you that the investigative process will take most of this day and that your loved ones may be held for some time. I have enlisted officers Kutchki and Hinomori to be at your request."

"The most difficult moment will be the need to identify the deceased. When that moment comes, these two officers will escort you to the place we have set to respectfully present them to you."

"On behalf of the Constabulary, our Government and our people…my officers and I extend our thoughts, our prayers and our hearts to all of you…all of you."

Totamo turned to Rhukia and Hinomori. "Take care of them?" He asked.

They saluted in return and bowed as he walked out.

10:02am

FM 357 The Magnum

The Rick Dees Show

Rick Dees sat at his mic for the moment, catching a tear on his cheek before clicking the mic button. "I've just been told that the families of the 29 Nagano students have been informed of their children's deaths."

"Sigh"

"I can't…..can't imagine….the weight of that…the thought that has to go through your mind when someone tells you that the child you've spent your whole life too…is not only never coming home again….but never because some…..some….forgive me….some fucking ass hole murdered them…."

"I hope the mother fucker rots in hell….I hope he or they rot in fucken hell for this."

"This just in….the on scene commander at Nagano will hold a press conference at 10:30 to release an update on the investigation. We'll return to the show in a bit….I need to…please understand…I need to go out and fucken hit something. This is the Rick Dees show."

10:13am

Uchiha Residence

Sakura stood waiting at the door until Mrs. Uchiha answered. "Hello Sakura."

"Is Sasuke home? He left me and Naruto behind near the school and we got worried." Sakura asked.

"He's in his room but I don't know if he'll want to see anyone right now. He's upset and you know how he feels about people seeing him like this." Mrs. Uchiha said as she allowed Sakura to come in. "You can go to his room, just be understanding if he snaps at you."

"Yes Mam." Sakura said bowing. She walked up to the second floor and stopped at Sasuke's sliding door. "Sasuke? It's Sakura…can I come in?"

"I'd rather be alone." Sasuke snorted back. She could tell he'd been crying. "You'll just annoy me."

"You can't stay shut up in there." Sakura said sighing. "You pen all this up to yourself and it will only hurt worse."

Sasuke didn't say anything back so Sakura looked back down the hall before leaning against the door frame. "You suck at keeping secrets…you think I didn't know about you and Akiharo?"

Things went quiet again until Sasuke cracked the sliding door. "You?"

Sakura smirked. "Please…I'm a girl, big shock there. And you are such a waste of cute girl throb…you suck."

Sasuke opened the door and let her in. "How long did you know?"

"Like you two spent real time at the Kendo Dojo doing Katas…you suck at lies too." Sakura sat on the bed. "I don't know what to really say…except that Naruto and I are worried sick about you…he's totally clueless of it by the way so you can relax."

Sasuke stood by the window. "I want to steal my dad's spare pistol and find this bastard. I want to hunt him down and blow his brains all over the street."

"You couldn't pull a trigger to save your life. Another thing I know about you…you don't want to be a cop and to be honest? You'd suck at that too."

Sasuke shuddered a little as Sakura walked up and rubbed his shoulders. "I think the last thing Akiharo would want is for you to do something crazy that get you killed. Besides…Naruto's probably five minutes out and I think it would be best to prevent a typhoon of fists from destroying your house."

Sasuke shook, trying to stop another crying session but Sakura hugged him. "Don't shut us off from you…please?"

Sasuke hugged her back. "I don't know how I can keep going without him."

"You're not alone…remember that….you're not alone." Sakura said as she kissed him on the cheek. "Now don't let Naruto figure this out…he'll never shut up."

10:14am

Room 305, Nagano Middle School

Kanma watched as a pair of mortuary technicians closed the zipper on the first victim's body bag and carried her slowly from the room. "Shiori Shikoha…cause of death..blunt force trauma to the skull and brain. Looks like the explosion killed her instantly. She was thrown into this support column head first." An aid said as he took down notes. "The weapons expert you asked for should be here by noon."

"Good." Kanma replied. The majority of the fatalities happened by the door, which must have been locked during the attack."

"I don't think so mam…it's possible they paniced and never got to open it."

Kanma walked over to where two techs were examining the head of a girl near the storage lockers. "You've been looking at this one for a while Shinwa, what do you have on her?"

"I think she was probably the final victim." Shinwa said as he ran his fingers through the scalp of the victim. "There's bruising, some bleeding and strands of torn hair. I think she was hung by her hair before death longer than a minute. The body there in the middle of the room has broken fingernails…she probably struggled with the attacker before he sliced her head off."

Kanma looked back. "Then you'd better run a scrape series on her fingers and add that to the profile we have. The scumbag should have some finger scratch abrasions on his body, perhaps the arms and face."

Another technitian came up to Kanma. "Some of the evidence people are here Mam."

"Tell them to wait or go suck some coffee\ fumes, we're going to be a while."

10:30am

Hilton Hotel, Nagano

Police Press Conference

Captain Totamo walked up to the podium and adjusted the microphone…

"Good Morning…certainly nothing good about it unfortunately. I am the on-scene Commander for the incident at the 4th Prefectorial Middle School, behind me is Captain Towashi who is the investigation Commander. We will brief you on the process to this point and then take questions."

"To summarize in brief, at 7:30 this morning we had an explosion in room 305 of the school. 30 students between the ages of 13 and 15 were present, of them 29 were fatalities. The single survivor, a 14 year old male, is being cared for and is under police protection."

"The school is closed and will be closed until the body of the investigation is completed. Arrangements will be made to continue school functions at another location. The national government and law enforcement are treating this matter in conjunction with the event in Nagasaki as an act of terrorism until proven otherwise. I need not elaborate on the response, you're seeing enough of that."

"The families of the deceased have been \informed. They are sequestered in the school gym while arrangements are made for the deceased. We ask that you respect their wishes and privacy in this difficult time. With that said, I will turn this over to Captain Towashi."

Captain Towashi took the podium. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am Captain Towashi the lead officer of this investigation which is proceeding at a positive and productive pace. One item of new information concerns the manor of death suffered by the victims. The explosive device employed by the criminal or criminals involved was not the sole cause of death. I am sickened to say that those who survived the blast were subjected to horrific mutilations by a bladed weapon. In blunt terms…no mercy was shown. The identity of the weapon type remains an ongoing issue."

"At this time there have been no definitive claims of responsibility by any group, I emphasis that point so please don't second guess or cause wild speculations."

"At this time we will accept some questions…"

FOX NEWS REPORTER: Captain Towashi, Can you describe the known perpetrator you have once more?

Towashi: He is currently known as the Red Man. We know he is over 6 feet tall, most likely a foreigner. He is wearing some sort of helmet, steel toed or metal covered boots, metal gauntlets, his clothing may be torn or shredded. When the surviving student is well enough to talk to law enforcement I'm sure we will know more.

NHK REPORTER: Captain, you said the victims suffered horrific mutilations? In what way?

Towashi: Some were beheaded…others dismembered. I think the description would be enough without getting into detail.

NBC REPORTER: Captain Totamo, were there any other bombs found?

Totamo: None at the site, this was the only device used. We've had bomb threats as you might expect. I will warn some of these unwise people that the penalty for false threats is a nice visit to Kurakawa Prison or Deadman Wonderland…trust me both places are not amusing to the mentally limited.

ABC REPORTER: How will the deceased be re-united with their families?

Totamo: We have set up a mortuary processing tent at the rear of the school. The deceased will be taken care there then identification will be made with the families and the bodies released to them.

AL JAZIRA REPORTER: Do you suspect terrorism and do you believe it is from the Middle East?

Totamo: We will not jump to speculation until all the facts have come to light.

"That is all for now Ladies and gentlemen. We will conduct another briefing sometime this afternoon. Thank you for your patience."

As Totamo walked from the room his cell phone chimed. "Totamo…What?! Where?!" He ran back into the room and caught Towashi by the arm. "I just got a call from Ogaki Police Department. They're responding to a report of a suspect matching the description in a wood lot near the Mibusaki Wood Works Plant."

10:35am

Mibusaki Wood Lot

Ogaki

Kevin Harding adjusted the scope on his M-16 air soft rifle and emerged from his hiding spot after taking out the last guy who decided to cross his little sniper nest. "Team building" they called this, well hell if this was their idea of team building, he'd take this over work any day.

He whipped around when a noise came running up behind him and caught the butt of a rifle square in the face and a swift kick in his chest that threw him back into the dirt!

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Kevin screamed as he sat up ready to punch someone out…only to find a rifle barrel shoved through his teeth and a really pissed off Japanese police officer staring him down from the business end…"Don't….move….your fucken eyelash…!" The officer gave a slight smile as a partner ran up beside him. "How was that? My English is getting better."

Kevin's fellow airsoft players came out of the woods complaining right into the dirt as they got thrown down by the SWAT police, who were in no mood to put up with any back talk. "No one move!" They screamed as they snatched up Kevin by his arms and stripped him down to his pants.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Kevin's foreman snarled as he approached one of the officers. "Mind explaining why you are manhandling one of my workers?"

"Has this man been with you physically since before 7:30?"

The foreman snorted back. "Yes he has. Is it suddenly illegal to have Airsoft Games in this country?"

The Sargent in charge snapped at his radio. "Dispatch…We have a ghost on that suspect. Someone over-reacted. I bet we're going to see more of these phantom ghost chases."

10:42am

Police Command Post, Nagano Middle School

Captain Totamo walked up to Captain Towashi. "That suspect call was a bunch of people playing Airsoft in the woods."

"Things are getting more interesting." Towashi replied as he handed Totomo some stapled papers. "This is the passenger manifest from ANA 004. Look at the highlighted name on page 2."

Totamo glanced at the name. "Masayoshi Igarashi?"

Towashi nodded. "The father of the survivor. Unique coincidence? Like everything else today."

"Does he know yet? The kid?" Totamo asked.

"No one can see him yet." Towashi replied. "I have one of my officers trying to influence the doctor watching him. I'm hoping to get access to him soon. Till then I called the hospital and told them he's not to be released."

10:42am

Fujimori General Hospital

Asano Mori followed Doctor Higasake like an annoying toe nipping dog. The man just would not take a simple no and Higasake was close to giving him a good chewing. "Inspector, please? While I admire your zeal to find the heartless people who carried out these atrocities, my responsibility is the life and care of my patients. The boy is under sedation and I won't force him out just so you can do an impromptu inquisition on a babbling, incoherent and abused child!"

"Lives are at steak doctor. That kid is the only one who saw this creep and every minute you waste carrying on with these excuses, the more likely it is that this person or these people will carry out another mass murder! Now please…just for a few moments Sir?"

"Did you hear me or are you really this dense? I told you I can't just wake him up from sedation. You won't get anything useful. I will start bringing him slowly out of it at noon and he should be fully awake for you by 3 or 4 but that's all I can give you. He is my patient and my responsibility and not even the Emperor could change my damn mind now please! We're going to be very busy after the first victim is brought here from the school so show us some patience."

Mori nodded. "Very well…but we must talk to the boy by the end of the day. You have your orders, I have mine."

10:50am

The Gymnasium, Nagano Middle School

The parents had been given cards to show when their time came. Slowly Rhukia and Momo walked around the rows of chairs until they came to the one's they needed to find…

"Mister and Mrs. Shikoha?" Rhukia said with a slight bow. "It is time."

Ota watched as the two officers held the grieving woman between them as they took both of the Shikoha's through a door at the other end of the court. A gentle tap on his shoulder made him turn to see Tashi standing with his hands in his pockets…

"You alright?" Ota asked. "What a dumb question."

"I just want to know…did she suffer?" Tashi said trying to keep from falling apart. "Was it mercifully quick? I don't think I can bear it…if she lay there…."

Ota stood up and wrapped his hands around Tashi's arms. He was always looking out for the guy since they were kids, some one had too. "You have to hold youself…we have to hold up each other…for the wives…"

Tashi nodded back. "You've always been a stubborn bastard." He looked around the room. "I haven't seen Masayoshi? Do you think he knows?"

He was on business in Nagasaki, asked me to keep an eye on Ganta for him. I'm sure he's trying to get back here now."

Ota saw the doors open and out came the Shikoha's with Hirako being comforted by one of the officers while Rhukia bowed deeply…

Mister Shikoha returned the bow. "Thank you for your great kindness to us." He said simply.

11:00am

Room 305, Nagano Middle School

Professor Fujita had been in the room for only 5 minutes and already he was looking bewildered by the first victim he examined…

"Impossible." He said as he switched the microscope setting on his small hand scope. "There's no possible way."

Kanma rolled her lips. "We can't find any trace evidence."

"None?" The Professor asked as he went to another victim. "You're sure? Nothing? This thing had to leave something behind…it's so thin that it's impossible to even exist. You did see some of the tissues? The bones?"

"Yes…the cuts are near perfect."

"Near? For a bladed weapon they are perfect!" Fujita threw a hand around. "Some of these kids were cut at the same time, I can tell you that judging by the angles. If this had been a Katana, a sword, a hatchet? There should be some flesh tearing, some remains of metal. So far not a damn thing? A weapon like this had to be at least 6 feet long and it didn't have a buttress to support it. It would be like a floppy 6 foot piece of rope!"

Kanma pointed to three red flag corpses. "These will be the last to be removed. You will have the time you need for your research." She turned to her aide and turned to the door. "Start with the body at the door and begin moving them out slowly. Get more photos before you do."

12:00pm

FM 357 The Magnum

The Rick Dees Show

(Sound of Tico Drums pounding a funeral march durge)

"_It is now noon here in Japan and you are hearing the sounds of the Imperial drums from the Palace of Emperor Akihito. The government has ordered all flags to half mast, the country of Japan is at a stand still. I have received news that the Emperor and Empress are on their way to Nagano against the advice of the Imperial House courtiers and staff. He reportedly said…"Our life compared to those who were taken so cruely is insignificant."_

"_Cruelty is perhaps the apt summation at this moment. The more that is released, the more horrible it becomes. So far around 56 foreigners have been detained for questioning as they fit the size description but so far nothing new to report on the suspect. News from NHK, the first victim has been identified by the family but all the families will be sequestered until the arrival of his Imperial personage. Which is to be about 1pm._

12:05pm

Makinowa Ginza, Nagano

"Man this place is dead." Naruto snorted as he Sasuke and Sakura walked around. "Better than that stuffy orphanage any day though." He looked at Sasuke and pursed his lips. "What's up with you Sasuke? You haven't insulted me one minute since we left your house?"

"Sasuke looked at Naruto. "Nothing…just don't have anything to say right now."

"Naruto? How can you be so casual after what's happened?" Sakura asked. "Some of our friends were in that room, of course we're not going to be feeling nice…"

"Then again…" Sasuke said. "When you're a homeless little bitch who got dumped by his parents, no wonder Naruto acts like a dumb shit."

Naruto slapped Sasuke off the arm. "Now there we go! We can't spend the next month going around like sad saps. Yeah…it's bad what happened but what good will it serve if we sit crying all day long?"

Sasuke just slapped Naruto in the mouth. "Right now? It would be better for you Naruto if you'd shut your stupid trap and not push me…got it? I'm a little low on the patience meter so don't push it."

Naruto rubbed his mouth and groaned. "Ok…jeesh…who's been fucken you up the ass?"

Sakura grabbed Sasuke's hand and held it before he went to swing. "Look guys…why don't we go to Ichiraku's Soba hut? I'm sure old Gee-san isn't closed."

Sasuke sighed. "Ok…but only because he serves Tempora besides Soba noodles. It's enough I have to put up with Naruto's stink."

12:07pm

Gymnasium, Nagano Middle School

"Yoshino and Satsuda Orasu." Rhukia said with a bow. She took Yoshino's hand while Momo supported his wife as they walked from the gym to the small room in the tent where their son was laid on a tutami and futon bed. He looked as he might have that morning before he woke up. They had even dressed him in a black sleeping coat and combed his hair which made his father chuckle slightly.

"Some things become so important all of sudden, don't they Sargent?" Yoshino asked Rhukia. "I always complained about his hair. This morning I did it again…told him that since he was class leader he needed to be an example…now I wish they'd roughed his hair a little."

Rhukia nodded slowly. Yoshino then turned and bowed to her. "We are grateful for the care you have shown us."

"It is our duty." Rhukia replied.

12:10pm

NHK TV NEWS

"_We now know the identity of the student who survived the massacre in Nagano. He is 14 year old Ganta Igarashi of Washin-Ken Nagano…"_

12.12pm

Police Command Post, Nagano Elementary School

"Who released that information!" Towashi snarled as he spat into his cell phone. "Find out damn it, I don't care who it is…I want their nuts in front of me yesterday so I can explain to the stupid fuck in no uncertain terms what the word "security" means!"

Totamo frowned. "You're serious?"

"Some one blabbed it to NHK…now the kid's fucken picture is plastered all over the place. Call your officers at the hospital and move the kid to another room in case the little bastard blabbed that too."

12:16am

Fujimori General Hospital

Toshio took one side of the passage, Kenji the other as they swept ahead of the rolling bed behind them…

"Get inside a room or leave this floor." Ban snarled as he ordered a Doctor to find a place to sit or go. "Doctor! Get in a room or eat the floor!" Ban shouted as he high ported his machine gun and pushed through a set of double doors. He stopped two of his men and turned them around. "Stand here at the door, if people have a valid reason for being anywhere near here, let them go…they don't? Boot their asses out."

Turning as the bed went by, Ban followed it to a new room and closed the door behind it as it was wheeled inside. "Nurse? Only you or the Doctor should be here unless otherwise, you understand? Don't tell anyone…not your parents….not your dog….not the girls at the water cooler."

Just then…Ganta sat up. "What's going on? Does anyone believe in lights?"

Ban reached over and hit the light switch, causing Ganta to squint. "What the fuck?"

"You're ok kid." Ban said as he walked over to the bed. "We just moved you to a better room so you can sleep easier."

Ganta frowned. "Bull shit…you moved me so that bastard can't kill me easier…what ever. Has anyone found my Dad? I thought he'd know by now?"

"We're trying kid." Ban said as he walked up to the bed and pulled the covers up. "Now try to get some sleep. You're going to have to talk to the people at investigations in a few hours so it's best you try to rest."

Ganta sagged. "After seeing what this guy did to my class…I don't think you guys could stop him. I don't think putting yourselves in danger for a stupid kid is right."

"Sorry….but we're suckers for stupid kids." Ban replied. "We'll worry about your security, you just worry about sleep."

12:35pm

Nagano Hilton

Called press update with Captain Towashi

"I am Captain Towashi of the National Constabulary Force here to update you on the progress of the investigation so far. I will not be taking questions at this time…"

"His Imperial Majesty and her highness have arrived in Nagano and will meet with the families of the victims at 1am. He is expected to make a national statement."

"We have a preliminary description of the bladed weapon used in the killings. It is a 6 foot long, very thin, single edged cutting weapon. Possibly with a guarded or fashioned hilt. It is by all means an exotic use weapon unique to this event only. If you come across this weapon by all means call law enforcement."

"We will not confirm the identity of the survivor as released by NHK TV until such time as we have ensured his safety and confirmed no further threats exist. We take the irresponsible actions of those who disclose sensitive police information with serious intent. I will not allow our officers or those they protect to be placed in further jeopardy through irresponsible individuals."

"As of this time, the description of the suspect in this crime has not changed."

"The process of returning the victims to their families by removing them to the mortuary department at Fujimori Hospital will begin after their Majesties have completed their visit."

12:40pm

Room 305, Nagano Middle School

Kanma met Matty Louazeu as he stopped at the doorway. "My team is basically done now but I'm leaving two people with the professor to continue researching this weapon that was used to…do what you see."

"The bomb didn't appear to be that powerful. No real blast damage I can see except for the windows and furnishings." Matty looked about, careful to watch where he stepped. "Did you find any wounds on the deceased?"

"Nothing from shrapnel. Minor abrasions and lacerations. No burn marks, no flame scorching, very strange bomb."

Matty waved back at the evidence crew. "Do we have enough room for the evidence crew?"

"Yes….just be ginger where you go. We still have other samples and items to collect."

12:45pm

Mortuary Tent, Nagano Middle School

Rhukia and Momo stood silently patient as Fujito Kemi carefully tucked a stuffed toy near his daughter's head. Rhukia noted the time and slowly knelt beside the grief stricken man, softly wrapping her hands around his arm. "Sir?...I deeply apologize. There are others waiting…"

Fujito made an effort to stand up and bowed. "I thank you for looking after her." He started to break down again and leaned on Rhukia as she escorted him back to his seat.

1pm May 13, 2012

FOX NEWS BROADCAST, Tokyo Bureau

"Fox News, Ben Dutton in Tokyo, Nick Boyle in Nagano. It is almost 1pm here in Nagano and we are awaiting the arrival of his Majesty, Emperor Akihito and the Empress here to the 4th Prefectorial Middle School where earlier today Tokyo time, 29 school children were ruthlessly massacred in what may be the first act of multi-targeted terrorism in Japan since 1995. We now go to Nick Boyle who is among the reporters allowed through the security cordon that's been set up around the site…Nick?"

"Ben, somber music has begun to play from a set of police loudspeakers here at the site, I recognize the music as "Oh God of Loveliness.", the scene around here has become silent, police officers are standing at attention. I now see the motorcade coming down the street slowly, people bowing as the car passes. Now it is stopping before what's been called the Command Post where two police Captains, I assume they are Scene Commander Totamo and Chief Inspector Towashi, await the emergence of their Majesties."

"The Emperor refused the caution of the Imperial House saying that his own life was less important than those that have been lost today. He stated "The heart must be where the most hurt has been done upon it." So here is in a sense the spiritual heart of the Japanese people. Now we see his Imperial Majesty emerging…

1pm

Police Command Post, Nagano Middle School

Captain Totamo bowed, followed by Towashi as the Emperor walked up. "Majesty…I am Captain Totamo…Captain Towashi."

Akihito bowed in return followed by his wife. "Where are the efforts being done for the children?" He asked softly.

"Behind the school Sir. They are being brought to a tent, made presentable then the families are called to identify them. We are tending to their needs."

"We see. Please escort us to the families?" Asked Akihito. Captain Totamo walked side by side with the Emperor while the Empress took the arm of Captain Towashi.

1:05pm

The Gymnasium, Nagano Middle School.

Ota could hear the somber music playing dimly around the building as he waited with the others. The fathers were asked to stand if they chose, none of them rejected. The mothers sat besides them, some stowic, others still crying against their husbands.

The doors opened and in came the Emperor with Captain Totamo aside him. Ota was surprised at how short he was, he thought the man would be a lot taller given his place in life. He looked like an old salary man just finishing his days work…

He said nothing…his face….soft with tender eyes like that of a Grandfather…spoke for him. There was still the taboo about touching the Imperial personage but it became quickly obvious that he would see none of that. On down the line he and his wife went. They spoke a few soft words…"We are here…you are not alone…" The Empress knelt down to every mother and took her in a tender loving embrace. Unafraid herself to cry for them…

When he reached Ota, Akihito squeezed his hands tightly. "We and our people are here for you."

Ota almost lost it had the Emperor not given him a tug of assurance. At first everyone expected Akihito to go to the microphone that was set up for him but he waved over to Totamo…"We do not like this…let us have a clip mic?"

After taking a clip mic and putting it on his coat, Akihito and his wife gestured the parents to gather close in a semi-circle around them. Every few moments the Empress would reach out as would her husband and hold unsteady hands, letting forth soft and caring smiles to faces and spirits needing hope…

"We…grieve for thee…" The Emperor started to speak softly. "Our hearts…ache for thee…" "The heart of our nation…breaks for thee." "And the world has heard your tears and cries for thee." "Know that you need not suffer what can not be suffered alone." "Know that our Government and our Law Enforcement shall work with due diligence…to bring your loved ones peace…and to you justice." "Know that you are loved." "That we love you." "That our people love you." "That you are and will never be lonely."

Outside…it began with just one man, an officer at the main gate. He removed his hat and bowed his head. It became a small stream along the street, one hat at a time, one head bowing at a time. It became a river where groups of people were gathered around the city. It became a torrent by the time it left Nagano. In Shinjuku they stopped their cars, they stopped walking, they stood crowded in the big Ginza. Heads bowed, tears flowed. As the Emperor said…the national heart from Sapporo to Shiri Castle on Okinawa cried as one soul, a single broken heart.

1:26pm

FOX NEWS BROADCAST, Tokyo Bureau

"This certainly…is an incredible site…He's Shinjuku…Nagoya…Yokohama…I…I'm having a hard time keeping my emotions in check, certainly the Emperor didn't need a prepared speech, something long winded…he hit the right words judging by the response from the country."

"I've been informed now that the Imperial couple themselves will escort the first two victims from the school grounds to ambulances that will take them to Fujimori Hospital. We can see two ambulances have parked at the front wall and it appears the police are taking up a sort of guard position along the walk at the front of the school."

"The identities of the first two victims have been released…Nobuhiro Orasu, the class leader 14 years old and Sayori Shikoha, 14 years old. We can now see the Imperial couple with the parents and behind them two stretchers carrying the victims. The lines of police are now saluting as the stretchers pass through and are now being placed into the ambulances. And so begins this sad ritual which we are sure will continue into the afternoon, perhaps into the night."

1:35pm

Ichiraku Ramen

Sasuke couldn't take it any more. He got up and walked out leaving Naruto feeding his face till he noticed Sasuke left and Sakura playing the blocker to keep the mouthy boy from really starting some uncaring shit. "Sit down!" She sanpped.

"Hey! He left all upset, I should see if he's ok." Naruto snorted.

"I said no! Go sit down, you'll only make things worse." Sakura turned Naruto around and pushed him towards the door. When she was sure he was staying put, she went looking for Sasuke. She felt sick with worry till she found him atop a pile of wood boxes in an ally…

He was balling…rivers flowing from his eyes…"I can't take it Sakura….I can't…it just hurts too much…"

Sakura softly laid her hands on Sasuke's knees. "Don't torture yourself please…" She begged.

"I'm already in hell!" Sasuke screamed. "I'm in hell at home! I'm in hell now! I should be there, I should be telling him how much I love him but I can't!

Sasuke jumped off the boxes, grabbed an old pipe on the ground and beat the shit out of a box till it splintered and he stumbled backwards from exhausting himself. "Gnah!...fucken ass hole! He murdered my boyfriend! I want the fucker dead!"

Sakura waited till Sasuke slackened before she touched him…"You can't keep going like this.."

"What the fuck?" Came Naruto's annoying voice. "Shit…did I piss you off Sasuke?"

Sasuke snorted back. "You never stop pissing me off."

"You've been crying? Sheesh, that's a new emotion for you. You never cry." Naruto found a place to sit. "You're worrying me man…you're starting to turn into a thick emo chick."

Sasuke sighed. "I'm going home."

"And do what?" Sakura replied. "You should talk to your brother."

"Itachi? And what would I tell him? I'd never head the end of it. He'd go tell Dad and them my life would really be fucked."

"Well I'm not going to sit by and watch you end up doing something awful." Sakura snorted. "You have to face this sooner or later or you'll end up destroying yourself."

Sasuke snorted back. "What ever….God damn at times you are an annoying bitch Sakura."

Naruto shot up and snatched Sasuke by the shirt. "Don't you call her a fucken bitch! If anyone's a stupid bitch…it's been you. And what the fuck is your problem anyways? You're always a stuck up prick. You treat Saskua and me like tag-a-long ear rings…why do you act like this Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked at Naruto and frowned. "I'm a faggot shit for brains…there, you happy? I'm fucken gay and my lover's been murdered…how's that for a revelation you blonde dumb ass? Get the fuck away from me or so help me? I will fucken kill you."

Sasuke threw Naruto away and walked off, leaving the blonde boy gape mouthed. "No wonder why he acts like a chick sometimes."

"You are such a fucken idiot Naruto!" Sakura snarled as she slapped him off the head and went after Sasuke.

1:40pm

NHK NEWS REPORT

"_This is NHK with updates on today's tragic events…_

"_Both the flight data and voice recorders have been recovered from the remains of ANA Flight 004 which crashed this morning in Nagasaki. They are on their way to the Ministry of Transportation for analysis. Representatives of Boeing, The FBI and the US Transportation Safety Board will arrive by this evening to join the investigation."_

"_In Nagano, the removal of victims from the Nagano Middle School continues slowly. The victims are being moved to Fujimori General hospital where final preparations to turn them over to their families will be accomplished. So far five victims have been removed and identified… Nobuhiro Orasu 14years old, Satsuko Kemi 14 years old, Kane Waka 14 years old, Tomohito Omata 15 years old and Shiori Shikoha 14 years old."_

"_Police continue to deny that a man killed on ANA Flight 004 is indeed the father of the only surviving student, Ganta Igarashi. The 14 year old boy is under heavy guard at a hospital in Nagano."_

1:52pm

Deadman Wonderland MSP

Kano Sorano found a place to sit in the cafeteria next to Shinji. "Hey…heard you won again last night. Smooth move on that Shrill Piper punk, that was so dead center of you man."

Shinji was engrossed in the television. "Sorry I tried to strike up a convo. Don't want to interrupt the TV soap."

Shinji gave Kano a sideways glance. "That's a dead-man for sure. From what they're describing the scene it fits Branch of Sin perfectly."

Kano took a sip of his coffee. "Another one? So now there's a six foot foreigner running around killing people?"

"I'm not so sure." Shinji said as he pointed to the television. "My bet's on the survivor."

"Really? They keep saying there was a bomb involved."

"That's only what they want you to hear." Shinji said smirking. "But there was definably a Branch of Sin involved in this, I'm sure of it."

"A cop's intuition huh? I hear the CASS point cost for candy might be going up again. They must be facing an overcrowding issue."

"That's a load of crap." Shinji snarled. "Probably some "big pharma" whore's demanding a higher slice of the money pie from this fucked up place. That wouldn't surprise me at all."

"So you have to fight that Hummingbird don't you? I hear she's a little psyco bitch who likes to play head games?" Kano smirked. " She is cute though…if I could get her alone in her room, I'd ride her like a horse."

Shinji snickered. "Nice dream man…let me know how that works out for you, if you got the balls for it?"

2pm

Room 305, Nagano Middle School

Inspector Towashi changed into a pair of medical scrubs and walked carefully over the debris and human remains still scattered about the floor to where Osaru Nagahara, Towashi's explosives expert, was crouched. "So where did this bomb explode?" he asked the man as he made measurements and chalked out lines on the floor.

"Right here.' He said as he held his hand up. "The floor is depressed in a circumference and the math says the hypocenter of the blast was 18 inches off this spot. The interesting thing about this bomb? No heat signatures anywhere. None of the bodies…not the floor, nothing on the furnishings. No chemical trace evidence…no gun powder, no Semtex, No Plastique. No Gasoline, no fertilizer…"

"Nothing at all?" Towashi asked.

Nagahara stood up and pointed about the floor. "We do have one interesting thing to note. The evidence collection crew was taking notes on personal effects? Cell phones, bags, books…they found this leather backpack torn to shreds on the floor. The pieces fell around the hypocenter in a circle pattern….as did this."

Towashi looked at the fragment Nagahara held in his hand. "What's that?"

"It was a soccer ball. It's just strange that this is the only back pack that got torn apart."

Towashi pursed his lips. "Any idea as to the owner?"

"Ganta Igarashi." Nagahara replied. "The name tag's on one of the fragments."

2:10pm

Mortuary Tent, Nagano Middle School

Rhukia and Momo stood silently by and watched Mrs. Hinasoka brush her daughter's hair. Her husband Sinaso held as much patience as he could muster before getting on his knees and putting his hands on his wife's shoulders. "Mother…it's enough now."

"I always fussed about how she looked in life…I'm not going to stop. I want her to look presentable…" She stopped and shuddered before starting to cry.

Momo knelt down softly and rubbed the grieving woman's back. "She is perfect. I am sure she is very happy."

The woman fell upon Momo and screamed…"Find them! Find the men who murdered my daughter! Please….find them! Make them pay for this!"

Ota watched as the Hinosoka's came out into the Gym and left at the other side. He felt his wife rubbing over his back, her eyes were red from all the crying and obviously she didn't have any water left to drain out. "Are you all right?" She asked softly as she played with his hair.

"I'm thinking about Ganta." His father's not here so I guess the rumor was true, he did survive. But what is thinking? I don't know what to tell him."

Megumi rested her head against her husband. "I wanted so much for them to become a couple. I think they would have been wonderful together." She said.

Ota nodded. "The funniest thing Ganta ever did was when he was over our house and Mimi saw him naked. He was begging my forgiveness over and over….remember that? When he said he was shameful and he would never come over the house again? He was so upset."

Megumi. "Yes…and Mimi told me later on…"He has a cute ass mother." I could have slapped her silly."

They laughed a little…before Ota started breaking up and shaking his fists. Meanwhile, Rhukia passed them by and faced the next pair of parents. "It's time." She said softly.

2:20pm

Ewate Street outside the police cordon

At first the three walked along slowly, at times stubbornly when Sasuke resisted the thought of trying and wanted to quit. They didn't say a word…till Naruto poked his head down to look at Sasuke's sullen face. "So…I guess being queer has its advantages in Kendo?" The blonde asked.

Sakura laid into him. "DAMN IT NARUTO! ARGH! YOU STUPID….WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"I was just wanting to know!" Naruto chimed. The blonde always came up with the most stupid things to say at the wrong times. "I mean gay guys are…you know….limber so it kinda helps when you need to dodge and strike fast. That's why Sasuke kicks so many butts in our tourney matches…sheesh Sakura I wasn't trying to be a creep."

Sasuke stopped and snatched Naruto by his jacket. He was silent for a moment, making Sakura worry he was going to snap and unleash all hell on the poor misfit. "Naruto…I've always been taking care of you since you were a toddler. I have put up with your shit for almost ten years now. I don't know why I shouldn't just kick the crap out of you for all the times you've given me shit I can't take any more…but I just can't….I…I value you too much."

Naruto cocked his head. "I almost thought you were gonna say you loved me, then I'd be worried. But why did you keep it such a secret? I thought we were friends."

Sasuke sighed. "Gee…let's just go to my house and you can blab it right in front of my Dad! "Hey Mister Uchiha, Sasuke likes boys!" Get the point?"

"So…why are we heading towards the school?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke didn't say anything for a moment. "I need to talk to my brother. He's the only one who might understand."

"What?" Naruto asked. "Understand what?"

"Just promise me that you'll back me up when the times comes Naruto? Your big mouth sometimes comes in handy."

2:30pm

Initial press conference on ANA Flight 004, Nagasaki

"_Good afternoon, I am Yushinoske Wataru, Representative of the National Ministry of Transportation I am here to update you on the efforts surrounding the investigation of the crsh this morning of ANA flight 004 from Nagasaki."_

"_As you know, we have recovered both the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder from the aircraft. They are now at our technical lab in Fujimidai undergoing analysis. Members of the United States investigative delegation have arrived and will be on the site conducting their work within the next few hours."_

"_Our initial investigation has so far found no evidence that the aircraft was brought down by a terrorist act. I emphasis that this is still early in the complete inspection process so the possibility of a terrorist action has not been ruled out."_

"_In regard to the identity of the passenger known as Masayoshi Igarashi and his relationship to the survivor of the school massacre in Nagano, we can now confirm that this person is indeed the father of the survivor and that he did perish aboard flight 004. Your questions about this matter are already known and thus far there is no evidence of any link between both individuals and both events. That portion of the investigation is on going at this time."_

"_I will now be open for questions."_

2:40pm

NHK NEWS SPECIAL REPORT

"We have with us now Toshiro Hitsuguya, the Student Body President of Nagano Middle School, who wishes to make a statement regarding today's tragedy…"

"Friends and fellow students…Our student body today suffered an irreplaceable loss. We need not further talk about the manor in which our friends and school mates perished."

"In our grief…for them, for their families…let us resolve not to give in to despair nor dishonor their memories with acts of regrettable selfishness. Let us instead resolve to meet our collective loss with collective strength of will."

"When the time comes for the last of our friends to depart our school for the final time, I wish the student body to be present to see that they do not depart alone. Let us show our country and the world that in the face of what seems evil's day of triumph…evil shall be deprived of its victory. Let us show those who carried out this brutality that we shall not be moved, nor cowarded nor driven to fear….thank you."

2:46pm

Front gate, Nagano Middle School

Sasuke stopped a police officer at the road block and asked where Itachi was. After a wait, his older brother walked up and directed another officer to take his station.

"Didn't I tell you to go home?" He asked Sasuke.

"I did. Mom's incessant needling drove me out. I need to talk to you anyway." Sasuke said sternly. Had it not been for Naruto and Sakura standing behind him, he'd be a sack of wet noodles.

"Ok…what?" Itachi asked.

"We need to go somewhere private." Sasuke said quietly. Itachi came out from behind the barricade and took Sasuke to an empty police van a few feet away.

"This had better be important enough for you too bother me from my duties." Itachi warned sternly.

Sasuke felt his heart pounding in his head, his fingers nervously playing with each other as he tried to form the words…"I….I….I need to go inside and see the parents of one of the students."

Itachi shook his head. "No one is allowed in there. Only family are allowed."

Sasuke shook his head. "It's very important…I….I….big brother? I've always respected you and loved you…do you…do you…"

"What? What kind of stupid question is this? Of course I care about you. If I didn't, I wouldn't have stuck up for you so much with father. You don't match his expectations very much."

Sasuke shift5ed in his feet. "Brother….?...I….I was in love…with a male student…and…"

Itachi's eyes jumped. "You….what?"

"I'm…..gay brother. My….my boyfriend was….." Saskue started crying.

Itachi had a look of disgust on his face. "You?! What the fuck?!"

"I'm sorry! That's how it is! I just want to see my boy friend…please…" Sasuke put his hands out in plead but Itachi pushed them off.

"No….no this is sick!" Itachi snapped. "Do you know what father will do about this! Bull shit!"

"But brother I…"

"I what?! My brother a little dick sucking faggot?! When father hears this crap, he's going to blow up! No…you're not going to go in there, you're going home and we're going to wipe this faggot crap from your fucken brain!"

Itachi was about to swing a slap when his hand got caught from behind. "You hit him and you'll have to club me to death." Naruto said as he tightened his grip. "You stuck up ass hole. Your brother needs you and this is how you help him?!'

Itachi snarled. "Stay out of our family business you little half breed piece of…." Naruto moved so fast…snatching Itachi's telescoping tonfa from its holster he slammed it into the older man's kidney and brought Itachi to his knees!

"Yeah….this half breed piece of shit knows a thing or two about police take downs doesn't he?" Naruto snarled as he pushed the stick deep into itachi's side.

"Naruto!" Sasuke snorted as he cried…"You stupid idiot!"

"Shut up Sasuke!" Naruto snapped. "Take me to jail Itachi but you listen first…Sasuke's heart is broken! All his life he's had to try and live up to what you and his prick dad wanted. Did you ever think of what Sasuke wanted or how he felt? Even once? Now because he's gay you want to throw him in the fucken trash…you're such a fucken ass hole! You didn't even fucken care when he tried to kill himself!"

Sasuke's eyes widened. "What the fuck?" He thought. "Kill myself? What the fuck Naruto?"

Naruto snorted. "Yeah…if it wasn't for me and Sakura, he'd be hanging from a bridge thanks to you and your dad's quest for perfection. Sasuke's been troubled by this for a while and it was the boy he loves who saved him! Now he's lost him and what do you do? You treat Sasuke like shit! If he ends up killing himself? It will be your fucken fault Itachi!"

Naruto threw Itachi off and put his hands out. "Now go ahead and arrest me you ass hole! Do it! Take Sasuke home and destroy him if it'll give you a rush….fucken prick!"

Itachi composed himself and reached for his cuffs…till he looked at his little brother and the tears flowing from his eyes…"Brother….please….I'm begging you for forgiveness…" Sasuke prostrated himself. "I'm sorry….I'm so sorry I've failed you."

"Sigh…God damn it, sit up! Stop being a disgrace." Itachi ordered. He turned to Naruto.."I should beat the fuck out of you and throw you in the slammer…except Sasuke would probably bribe you out."

Itachi turned to Sasuke and took his hand. "Come with me…but the blonde prick stays in here."

3pm

Room 423, Fujimori General Hospital

Detective Mori and his partner Daito stopped with their stenographer at the guarded service desk on the 4th foor. "Is Ganta Igarashi available now for us?" He asked the nurse. The woman nodded in reply and led the officers down the hall, through the secured double doors and up to the door of room 423.

The kid was sitting up in bed, a few bandages and a wound dressing over his left eye. He still looked a little sedated with sleepy looking eyes and a drooping face but otherwise he had no serious injuries to speak of. Mori took a chair by the bed, Daito stood behind him and their stenographer pulled a chair from across the room and began typing furiously on an I-Tablet…

" Ganta Igarashi, I'm Detective Mori. This is Detective Uchio and Officer Kanto. We wish to talk to you about the incident today if you're willing?"

Ganta nodded. "Yeah."

Mori thought for a moment. "However…we must first bear to you some difficult news. I know you've been through much already but you must brace yourself. Your father…"

" I've been asking about my Dad." Ganta said nervously. "He's flying from Nagasaki to Nagano and I was trying to find out if he heard about the explosion yet."

"Ganta" Mori said with sadness. "Your father's flight. His airplane exploded over Nagasaki not long after take-off. I'm sorry son but there were no survivors."

It took a moment to hit him full force but Ganta started to huff and breath short. Half upset…half angry. What the fuck was happening? His class assaulted, his friends butchered, Mimi decapitated…now his father? Why him? Why was this all happening to him? He pounded his fists into his lap and screamed…"GOD DAMN IT!"

Mori leaned to touch the crying boy. " Ganta? I understand all this is a terrible burden on you. We'll give you 30 minutes alone but we must talk about what happened. Your memories right now are the only way we can find the suspect."

"30 minutes?" Ganta thought. "Bull shit. Give them more time to kill someone else?" "I'm alright. Let's keep going." He said resolved and stone faced.

"Ganta? We can't talk to you in this state. You need to think strait so you should have some time…"

"I saw my friends butchered like helpless sheep. My closest friends…a girl I liked…that thing had her head in his fucken hands! I want the bastard caught! I don't need a fucken break! I want to help you catch this ass hole!" Ganta screamed as he shook his hands.

"Ganta-kun, you're getting upset."

"Upset! Of course I'm upset! How worse can it already get! I said keep going!"

Mori took Ganta by the shoulders. "Alright…but take five minutes at least to calm down. We can't gather good information if you're this upset."

" Ok…" Ganta said still breathing heavy. He sat with his eyes screwed shut and tears welling in his eyes. His dad? He texted him this morning! He was going to surprise him by telling him about his first date with Mimi, ask his advice, go to find her a gift…not now…his whole world had been fucked! Ganta wasn't upset any more….he was fucken pissed.

Mori and his men returned after a few minutes. "We'll try not to take very long. We have to follow up on the initial description you provided in the Emergency room. Any details you remember, especially this soon after the incident will be extremely valuable in finding the person who did this. Let's begin with about 5 minutes before the explosion, what do you remember?

"I was talking to some of my friends about the field trip that the class was going to take in a week. We were going to the Wonderland amusement park. We were getting into our seats and waiting for the teacher to walk in when I heard this music…or thought I heard it. It was this lullaby my mother used to sing to me when I was a little kid."

"A song?" Mori wondered. "Was it playing on the loudspeakers or some one's device?"

"I couldn't tell." Ganta replied. "I asked the kid next to me if she heard the same thing and she just shrugged at me. I kinda blew it off till I felt something wasn't right and I turned to my left to look out the window. That's when I saw the guy."

"You saw the suspect at the window?"

"Yeah! We're on the 3rd floor and this guy is floating outside the window. He was like a foot or two away from the glass. When the other kids started seeing him, we started to panic. Some were getting out of their seats when he held up his hands and the windows shattered."

"Did the explosion happen then?"

" Yes. My friend Mimi had grabbed me and…."boom", everything went flying. I ended up hitting the lockers at the back of the classroom and I blacked out. When I came too…everything was a mess."

Ganta stopped for a moment to wipe his face. The memories of what he saw started to stab at him like a knife so hard his head started to ache from it. "The whole room was covered in blood. The ceiling, the walls, the floor. I had my hand on something…I looked down…it was a fucken arm. The room was a little dark and the glare from the windows blinded me a bit. I was looking around for my friends and I saw Shikohara laying a few feet from me…his throat had been cut open like a hacked chicken."

" Where was the suspect at the time?

"Inside the room. He must have killed anyone who survived the explosion. It was hard to see but I thought that I'd seen Mimi….it was her head. The mother fucker had cut off her head. He tossed it like a fucken bowling ball!" Ganta stopped, holding his hands up as he gritted his teeth.

" Then he came after me. I was the only one left alive you know, leave no witnesses. I started crying and pleading with the guy, I didn't want to die, I kept saying "Please…..don't kill me!" The he raised his hand and fired this freaking red thing into my chest! They keep telling me there's nothing there but I saw it!" Ganta thumped at his chest.

Mori waved his hands. "Calm down Ganta-kun. Can you give us a better description of the suspect?"

" The guy was like 6 foot tall, a little taller than that. He was wearing dark red clothes, actually you wouldn't call them clothes since they were all ripped to shreds. He had thick black boots. He was wearing steel gloves, like gauntlets only the fingers were covered in metal and the rest was like canvas or leather. He had this steel helmet on his head…it almost looked like the one in a cartoon I watched as a kid, do you know Ace-Man?"

" My children used to watch that show. So this helmet looked like that?"

Ganta nodded. "Yeah! You gotta find this bastard, if he could do this….he can do a lot worse. I'll help you any way you need me, I want to find this piece of shit!"

" Leave that to Law Enforcement son, I'm sure we can handle this criminal. You just relax and we'll be back for more questions soon enough. We thank you for being so brave under such terrible and trying events." Mori and his men bowed slightly.

" If you see Mimi's father….tell him I'm so sorry. I couldn't stop the guy." Ganta said sadly. "Tell him I want to talk to him."

" Don't abuse yourself Ganta-kun. Thank you again for your help." Mori said as he excused himself and walked out with his men.

"Floating?" Uchino asked in a quandary. "Did that kid say that? The guy was "floating"?"

Mori nodded. "He's under stress, nervous, upset…not thinking strait. Once he's had time to calm himself I'm sure the story will clear up. Get this new information to headquarters in Tokyo. Tell them we'll wait till tomorrow morning. Give the boy a chance to rest."

3am 13 May 2012 New York time

FOX and FRIENDS early edition

"_Good morning everyone, we're continuing the coverage of the tragic events in Japan that have continued since the crash of an All Nippon Airlines commercial jet shortly after 7am Tokyo time. Japanese officials have set the death toll in Nagasaki to 390 people, including those killed aboard the Boeing 737 jet that exploded shortly after take off from Nagasaki. Meanwhile, the investigation continues into the massacre of 29 students at a Middle School in Nagano. New details confirm the horrific nature of the killings after a bomb was detonated in the room full of children. Our FOX NEWS reporter in Japan, Nick Boyle has more…good morning Nick."_

_Good morning Christy, behind me you see an ambulance slowly pulling away from the school building, this sad scene has been replayed now since 1pm when the first victims were released to their families. Japan remains on alert and a nation wide lock down even as preliminary reports from Nagasaki seem to be steering away from a terrorist attack. The suspect in the Nagano massacre is still at large but police have completed their sweep of the city and allowed the limited re-opening of the local transit services and the roadways. The lone survivor of the massacre, Ganta Igarashi, is said to be in satisfactory condition but under police protection at the local hospital here….Christy?"_

"_You have to be amazed…have to be amazed at the response of the Japanese people to this, especially when incidents like this are so rare in that country. Take the police response to what happened in Nagano. You know when the Columbine Massacre happened? The police didn't enter the building until the two shooters were done killing students and had killed themselves. Reports from Nagano said that police were storming the school within minutes, two of them were in the building armed and ready to engage whoever was doing this. They had the trains shut down, the planes grounded, the roads blocked off and cops were sweeping through Nagano within minutes! Extraordinary rapid response."_

"_And did you see the address made by the student body president of that Middle School? 14! The kid's only 14 years old but he could wipe the floor with our president. I wouldn't doubt for a moment that this Hitsuguya kid becomes Prime Minister in a few years, I mean kids in Japan put our kids in America to shame. The same scene anywhere in America? Our kids couldn't stay unified on anything for a second."_

3:30pm

Front Lawn, Nagano Middle School

"Kazano Jiri walked around the grass under the shattered window of room 305 looking through the grass and sifting for glass fragments, marking them as he went with small cocktail flags. As the image began to take shape, he stood scratching his head in a pondry. "Hey Kanzaki? Come over here please?"

Mataro Kanzaki walked over and looked down at the flags. "The glass pattern?" He said pointing.

"Yeah." Jiri said as he ran his hand over the grass. "It makes no sense." We found some of the aluminum framing up in the room, we have as much glass down here as we do up there..an almost 50/50 split. A bomb exploded in that room right?"

"Yes." Kanzaki replied.

"Then why is there framing inside the room? Why are we finding glass fragments inside the room? I want the remains of the frame sent to Osaka for microscopic examination. This is telling me that something went on outside the building before the bomb exploded. It makes the only logical sense."

"Did you hear they haven't found any trace of explosives in the room yet?" Kanzaki remarked.

"You're serious? Now that's strange."

3:45pm

The Gymnasium, Nagano Middle School

Rhukia walked with Sasuke after getting an earful from his older brother. "Just take him where he wants to go. I'll be responsible." The older Uchiha remarked. Rhukia walked Sasuke to where

Hiryko and Nishinma Usuma were sitting. "Sir? Mam? I was told to bring this young man to you." Rhukia said as she nudged Sasuke forwards.

"Mister and Mrs. Usuma…" Sasuke said as he bowed and waited for Rhukia to leave before sitting down on the floor.

"Hello Sasuke…how is your family?" Nishima asked.

"They're ok Sir…I'm worried about you and Mrs. Usuma…" Sasuke went quiet for a moment. "I don't know what I could say…I have something that's…that's troubling me."

"If it was enough for you to be allowed in here, it must be bad enough." Nishima said. "We thought about you…you were always a good friend to our son."

Sasuke took a deep breath. "Sir?...I…we…we were…more than that…I…"Sasuke lowered his head. "Mister Usuma?...Mrs Usuma?...I was….I was Akiharo's lover."

Sasuke steeled himself. He saw the look of shock at first in the man's eyes. Mrs. Usuma looked at him, then at her husband with a surprised look then back to Sasuke. "Well….this….this must be a cause for…for difficulty at home for you."

Sasuke shook his head. "My parents don't know about it…I feel….I feel ashamed…dirty…."

Mister Usuma sighed. "We….we both had thoughts about our son's behavior for some time…we never….well we thought he…we never thought you…you think this is hard for you to face? Try dealing with what we've seen…trust me my parents were livid, my father practically disowned Akiharo as a grandson."

"I…." Sasuke started crying. "I've done him so much wrong! I Caused him so much pain!"

Mrs. Usuma knelt down. "No! No…no…no my dear…our son wanted to kill himself after people at school began to suspect he was…the cruelty he went through was too much. Then…then he found you and you took care of him. Those were the happiest days of his life Sasuke…he loved to talk about you."

"Of course to honor your silence he never talked about you by name or much else but he spoke of how good a friend you were to him. You are a good and decent young man and you gave my son for a brief moment a reason to live and thrive…I thank you for that."

Sasuke felt himself pulled into their arms and he wept unashamed as they patted and kissed him on the head. "They took him! They took my Akiharo from me! Why!" He cried over and over.

He cried until Mrs. Usuma cradled his sad wet face in her hands. "You will come with us, when it's our time…and you can say goodbye to him without fear…with our blessing….and with our love."

Sasuke started to smile amidst his grief and once again felt the comforting warmth of Mrs. Usuma as she cradled him in her arms. "Be at peace child…you need not blame yourself or live in shame any more."

4pm

257fm The Magnum

The Rick Dees show

"It's 4pm here in Nagano. I have chosen to remain on the radio until midnight. We can expect some time tonight that the last victim will be removed from the Middle School, as of now…11 have left. Each one has received the same treatment…they leave through the front being carried in a medical stretcher by uniformed police officers, carried across the front of the school to the strains of "Oh God of Loveliness" to an ambulance. As the Student Body President has said, the last one will be carried by the whole school in what he called "A demonstration of unified resistance to evil. Unified resistance, that about sums the attitude of the whole country. And now I'm watching the 12th student being carried out. The police have now relaxed the cordon around the school and it's surrounded by a sea of people. The ambulance is slowly going through the street…people bowing….some removing hats….some with flags are lowering them. Unified stand against evil…what a people."

"A statement now from the teacher of the class in room 305, Izumi Noda…" "My husband and I can not express appropriate words for the great magnitude of the loss we have suffered. Every one of these young children were untapped potentials of goodness and light for our country and they were taken from us with malicious violence. We pray for their parents and for our people that the just might of law will prevail and deliver righteousness against the perpetrators of this madness."

4:10pm

Police van outside Nagano Middle School

Naruto had been kept locked inside for what felt like an eternity. He knew he was in big trouble regardless of his motive, he had assaulted a cop…and Sasuke's brother? No one ever took on Itachi! He was the department Judo champion, a high ranking Dan, an expert grappling artist and Naruto caught him flat fucked! When he heard the door latch click, he readied himself for a beating. As a half breed son of a street whore, he was about as much worth in Japan as a piece of cat shit.

Itachi came inside and slammed the door behind him. Watching Naruto shiver and almost piss himself with fear. "Now…what should I do to you? You must have felt real proud to get me so easily didn't you?"

Naruto felt Itachi grab his orange jacket and he cringed…waiting for a punch to bust his face up. Instead…Itachi patted his cheek. "Suicide?...you are a devious lying little fuck."

"I won't back down even if you beat all my teeth out!" Naruto said forcefully. "You can go fuck yourself Itachi! You're a fucken ass hole and I meant it!"

Itachi nodded. "Yes…yes I have been. The thought of my little brother being a fag really steamed me up…made me think I'm a failure…till I had my ass handed to me. You're quite good street rat."

"You're faking me out." Naruto snorted. "Beat me up and get it over with!"

"I have a better idea." Itachi said as he rubbed his chin. "You protect my brother and from time to time you work for me on the streets."

Naruto pondered it. "That's it? That's all you want? It's not like your brother needs protection from anyone."

"There's jail?" Itachi replied. "And he does need protection. I can't be there for him all the time and his attitude might get him killed. I just want someone to cover his back…you gain?"

"Will I make money?" Naruto asked.

"I knew that was going to come up." Itachi said smirking. "Fine…yes you will make money."

"Then it's a deal." Naruto said as he shook Itachi's hand.

4:13pm

Autopsy of Nobuhiro Orasu

Fujimori Hospital

Doctor Shushizu Araki stood bewildered as he examined the sever point on the neck. "Obviously the head separated from the body when it was thrown against the closed doors of the room. He went for the door, couldn't open it because he was in panic, adrenal energy has the mind confused…."Shick!"….the weapon slices through the middle of the neck, nicks the 4th thoracic, goes clean through."

He got closer to the neck and examined the surfaces of the cut. "This is so clinically precise, it's impossible. No weapon this thin could do this kind of surgical damage."

Araki's friend, Armon Dorian, was visiting from Los Angeles's University of Medicine when he heard about the brutal massacre and asked to sit on the autopsy. "Shaolin" Dorian said as he examined the wounds. "A shaolin weapon might be capable of this."

"Please Armon. The Shaolin twin hooks are too thick. This has the thickness less than the common scalpel at 6 feet in length..no reasonable weapon could possibly be like this."

"The shaolin were capable of producing whip weapons to surgical thinness, I've seen a master whip a piece of thin gauge through a block of cheese by the momentum of his spinning body, that's the only way this could have happened. Otherwise we're saying the attacker just whipped it out of thin air and what would people think of that excuse?"

Araki pondered. "That's the only thing I can recommend on their report. This weapon simply doesn't exist, it has no basis in engineering, it's impossible for a weapon like this to have done all that it did…and only one survivor out of 29? Absolute bull shit."

4:29pm

Home of Ryshiro Emisa

Minanao looked out the window of the living room and watched the family Akita dog Kisame stand suddenly…look both ways up and down the street then flop back down on the grass. Minanamo turned to her Grandmother as she walked in. "Granny? Why can't I watch television?

The old woman shook her head. "Because you watch too much and you have home work do you not?'

"I'm done!" The little girl replied smiling. "I always get my homework done…unlike Ryshiro. Where is he? He's driving Kisame nurts."

The old woman didn't know what to say. Out of sight she had been keeping up on the radio news and knew things were not good at all. What could she say? How do you begin to tell a 6yo her brother wasn't coming home? She thought of her daughter, the hell she must be going through. It was difficult keeping up an appearance the younger child couldn't read.

4:40pm

Fujimori General Hospital

Ganta Igarashi's room

Ganta tried to think. "How did that ass hole get up so high?"

He played it over and over again in his tortured mind. Turning to see the "red man" at the window. No cables, no ropes, nothing…a jet back pack? He would have heard it!

There was the feeling again…Mimi's hand grabbing at his arm. He rubbed the spot and cursed himself. He didn't see her face, he didn't hear her say anything…he grabbed her hand and lost it. He thought curses to himself…"I wish I had been killed with her…I wish I wasn't left alone… MOTHER FUCKER WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?!"

The screaming brought ban into the room high porting his rifle. "You alright kid?!" He saw Ganta hiding his face with his hands as he walked up to the bed. "Ganta?" Ban asked as he patted the boy's shoulder. "You alright?"

Ganta felt like snapping back…"No you fucken ass hole…I'm not all right. I have my girlfriend's head in my fucken mind…duh!" Instead…Ganta slackened. "No…I don't think I'll ever be alright officer."

"I'm willing to listen, if you want to get things off your chest." Ban said…then he thought about what he said. "Sorry about the "chest"."

Ganta patted himself. "He did shoot something into me Sargent Ban…I know he did, I saw him do it. I keep asking myself…why me? Why the fuck was I spared and not my friends? Why my dad? What the fuck did I do to deserve having such a fucked up life?"

Ban shook his head. "I don't know Ganta…I don't know…but if you're thinking about giving up, I would tell you not to do it. Nothing would be more disrespectful of those who died than you selfishly deciding to say "fuck it". You've been dealt a poor hand and its' up to you to turn up a royal flush despite how bleak it all looks. Live to see the ass hole who did this pay with their lives…that's what you have to do."

Ganta closed his eyes and nodded. "I guess I needed a little encouragement…thanks Officer."

"It's Ban kid. And don't mention it."

4:50pm

Gymnasium, Nagano Middle School

Rhukia walked slowly up to Mr. and Mrs. Usuma and Sasuke and bowed…"It's time."

Sasuke looked at both parents and took Mrs. Usuma's hand as they followed Rhukia and Momo through the double doors and down the curtained passageway to the small room where Momo held open the flap…

Mrs. Usuma stopped short as Sasuke let her hand go and stood sullen and upset. "I don't know if I can do this."

"We're here." Mrs. Usuma said as she slowly coaxed Sasuke into the small room. Akiharo was laid out under a white sheet dressed in a black happy coat. His long brown hair was brushed neatly and there was no visible indication of the violence that might have been inflicted on him. To Sasuke it looked as if he was sleeping. For the moment Sasuke seemed lost…he didn't move, he didn't speak. His mind drifted back to last summer…on the beach…it was twilight….no… night time. The sun had just dipped and Akiharo was just climaxing…his warm tongue dancing inside Sasuke's mouth…the feeling of his love flowing inside of him…the tender words of affection between them…

"Sasuke?" Mister Usuma's voice suddenly broke the dream. "Sasuke?' He asked as he shook the boy a little.

"Huh? Oh….I was….I was….thinking…." Sasuke said as he looked around. Mrs. Usuma was putting something into Akiharo's hands and saying a few words.

"We'll leave you alone if you want?" Mr. Usuma said. "To say something."

Sasuke nodded silently as Momo bowed to him. "Please don't take much time? But your loss is understood so do not rush yourself."

He stood idol for a moment as they left him. As hard as he tried, words just weren't coming out. Sasuke slowly knelt and felt the soft hair, the loved face. He was cold…bitterly cold and Sasuke was starting to weep again. "I…I…" He fell upon the body crying and hugging as much as he could…"I don't want to live without you! I don't want you to go!" He wailed over and over till finally there was the resignation. A soft patting of the face, a tender kiss upon lips that couldn't speak again and a promise…

"I will…..fucken kill….the ass hole who took you from me." Sasuke snarled before he stood up, wiped his face and walked out.

4:55pm

Nagano Police Headquarters

"What do you think?" Aki Senju asked as she held the sketch pad in her hands. "Would you consider this a close representation?"

Detective Mori looked at his notes. "I guess that's exact. The kid said the guy was floating outside the window."

"floating? As in…levitating." Aki asked.

"I think the kid needs more time to relax so he can remember details but that's what he said. This guy was pretty big. If you don't factor in the boots and helmet, he must have been around 6'2" or 6' 3" tall. A foreigner for sure." Mori tore out the sketch and handed Aki back her pad. "I'll get this off to administration and see if they want to adjust the A.P.B. on this dirt bag."

Aki turned to her television. "Looks like another briefing in Nagasaki's starting.

5pm

Nagsaki

NHK Broadcast of Investigation update on Flight 004

"Good evening. I am Kojiro Susaki, investigator for the Ministry of Transportation. My colleagues joining me are from the United States Transportation Safety Board, Mister John Gunn. From the F.B.I. Special Agent Todd Starnes from Hawaii and Miss Remy Nelson from the Boeing Corporation."

"To reprise from our first news conference earlier today. Though we continue to operate the investigation on the premise that there was a terrorist action involved in the aircraft's destruction, evidence continues to contradict that assertion. With the help of these representatives behind me, we are sure to close in upon the cause of this tragedy within a few days."

"The transportation ministry is at this moment organizing contingency plans to begin allowing limited air travel over the country and for international flights starting 7pm tonight. We expect to return to full services perhaps within 48 hours to 72 hours depending on the evolving situation and the investigation outcome."

"The circumstance that has caused us to change speculation that terrorism was involved in this disaster stems from our first investigation of the forward section of the aircraft. The visual expectation of bomb damage is lacking at the location where the forward section of the airliner separated from the rest of the plane, this indicates possible catastrophic structural failure rather than an explosive cause."

5:15pm

Niku Niku Coffee Shop

Hitsugaya tried to tone down the ovation of people as he walked into the coffee shop but guessed it was a little worthless trying, the majority of those packing the place were other students and they needed something…or someone to get behind and bolster their spirits. Someone wanted him to speak, then someone else, then someone else…

"I'll say something if you'd put the cell phones away." He asked, ever conscious about having to see himself sprayed across You Tube. He took a casual approach, un-buttoning his shirt, throwing the annoying school tie off and stopped to think before he started speaking.

"First…we should think about our friends. Think about not the big things we know of them but the small ones we will certainly miss about them."

"For instance…Michide Manoka. Name one thing you know about Michide?" Toshiro asked.

"Ring Dings!" A girl shouted. "Where did he keep finding Ring Dings?! No store here sells them but he was always walking around eating a Ring Ding!"

Toshiro nodded. "Yup…."Ring mouth. What about…. Tomiku Sashiwa?"

"Socks! She always wore out of regulation socks! Remember when she wore those ridiculous Hello Kitty ones with the push button chime boxes? They would drive people nuts on test days!"

Toshiro laughed. "And Eshiri Jotatsu?"

"Sucked at Home Ec!" A girl yelled from a corner. "The only student who forced a fire department emergency call every week for smoking out the classroom. We said he was the only Asian capable of burning water!"

Toshiro laughed and waved his hand. "It's the little things…the little quirks and small things our friends would do or say that made our lives in school special…we've all known each other since pre-school, all of us…and except for the occasional friend who moved away, our class has never lost anyone…not to accident, not to illness…not until now. And too lose 29 at once? It's one thing to have just one stolen from us but 29? Nori's home made pizza? Rumiko's love of cats? Yosaka's singing voice? Why did our friends get taken from us? What did they do to deserve this? What should we do?"

Toshiro walked around the crowded room. "I know what we can't do…we can't sit down, give up and give the creep who did this a chance in hell of getting sick satisfaction from it. I say to hell with him."

The coffee shop went nuts.

"Instead of staying in our homes and drowning our faces in our pillows alone…I say we stand as one group and show this criminal jerk that he can't steal anything else from us."

The coffee shop shook.

"I say when we gather together tonight? We stand as one body, one mind and one school and take back what that son of a bitch tried to take from us and show our friends the metal we're made from! If you thought you could screw with our school you bastard…GUESS AGAIN!"

Toshiro spiked the mic on the floor and whooped the crowd into a chanting frenzy of Banzai!

5:30pm

Nagano Middle School Kendo Dojo

"WHAP!"…"WHAP!"…."WHAP!"

It took some time but Naruto knew there were few places Sasuke could end up alone than in the dojo and from the sounds of the hanging bag being hit, Sasuke was giving it serious kicks from hell. Naruto stood at the doorway for a moment watching the teen deliver combinations of punches and hard kicks to the leather bag, it's body shuddering and leaping with every hard strike!

Naruto finally got up the nerve to approach, yet Sasuke was so concentrated on giving the bag the business that he didn't care to notice. Naruto was jealous, hell he was so envious of Sasuke's talent. How could he not be so good since he lived with two high belt cops who probably had him kicking stuff between diaper changes.

"Hey." Naruto said with a friendly wave. Sasuke kept right on kicking.

"So…who was he?" Naruto asked gingerly.

Sasuke gave him a slight glance and kicked a few more times. "Who?"

"The…boy…the one you fell in love with?" Naruto tensed as if he was expecting to get a smack in the face.

"Akiharo." Sasuke replied.

"Oh…." Naruto replied sullenly. "He was a nice guy…at least he was to me…I mean he was very friendly…one of the few kids in school who treated me nice…"

Sasuke struck a combination to the bag. "He was always nice to everyone. He never did anything to hurt anyone else."

Naruto played with his fingers. "Did you guys….have sex?"

Sasuke frowned….then sighed…."Yes."

"You must have loved him a lot." Naruto said. It was upsetting Sasuke enough that he sat down brooding. "I'll go….I'm sorry."

"No!" Sasuke begged. "No…please?"

"You're going to cry on me?" Naruto asked as he pointed to himself. "Maybe I should get Sakura? She has a softer shoulder…she has soft tits too."

Sasuke laughed. "You manage to "Rochambeau" every emotional moment Naruto. I…I…want you to know that…I know you think of me as a bastard and a prick all the time…but you're one of my closest friends…I can always talk to you."

Naruto smirked. "You're a….hmph…I never once thought you could be queer. Fuck..I thought every girl in school was dying to whip their panties off in your face. You were a fucken stud and I hated you for that."

Sasuke sighed. "Rivalry is a bitch. I thought about telling you and Sakura but I was terrified. Especially of my Father and Itachi. After my first time with Akiharo…I just stayed in a tight shell. It just sucked."

Naruto worried. "Are you all right? You look so tired."

Sasuke gave out a long breath. "I don't think I can make it…Akiharo was like the world to me and he's gone…I don't know what to do…I want to hunt down and kill the fuck who killed him."

Naruto slowly moved between Sasuke and the front door. If Sasuke was planning to go, Naruto was determined to stop him at all costs. "No…retaliation only brings more pain, what will be left after that? I won't sit by and watch you kill yourself. Akiharo would never forgive you."

Naruto stretched his hands out. "Come on…"

"What?" Sasuke asked.

"Just shut up and come on." Naruto said gesturing. "Don't worry….I don't bite."

5:40pm

357fm The Magnum

Rick Dees Show.

"Some more information to pass along to our listeners. Train service to and from Nagano will be restored to full operation at 8pm. Expect no delays in train times or extra security measures unless otherwise informed. Air service at Nagano airport will continue to run on limited schedule at least through the week. All schools will be closed for the next two days. Nagano Middle School is currently looking for another venue to hold classes until the building is cleared by authorities."

"Ten victims remain on site. Officials estimate the final victim will be removed sometime between 9 and 11pm, we will of course cover that event when it happens. Events in Nagasaki continue to suggest that terrorism played no role in that tragedy, the death toll stands at 387 people."

"Another victim is being removed now…the police have relaxed the cordon around the school and crowds have converged on the streets around the grounds. Yunimon Asukito…13 years old. Said to have enjoyed baseball…writing poetry…loved to climb rock walls…you hear these things about these kids and it just makes me more upset. Once again the strains of "Oh God of Loveliness" and now a line of students, ten from the looks of it, have these Odyko drums and they're beating this slow thumping drum call…the tradition hails from Samurai days when dead Samurai were presented to the victor of battles."

5:43pm

Nagano Middle School Grounds

Rhukia and Momo passed the stretcher off to the ambulance crewmen and backed away to salute as the drums began their funerary beats again, the deep pounding sound vibrated off the walls and buildings. Now a police car with its' lights flashing led the ambulance out of the courtyard and into the crowded streets beyond.

"You're doing fine." Rhukia said as they turned to go back to the school. "To be honest I was expecting you to break down after a few times. This isn't easy to deal with."

"No…" Momo replied as she looked up to the tarps drapping the shattered windows of room 305. "What makes it bearable is seeing how we act affects the parents of those kids. It brings me a feeling of happiness to know how important we are."

"Admirable." Rhukia said. "I'm sure your Grandfather would be pleased. Your doing him a great honor."

Momo smiled. She always had to live in the shadow of her legendary Grandfather, Chief Captain of the force, legendary police officer who in retirement sacrificed himself to save people during the Aum subway attack in 1995. Being his only Grandchild and a girl she had a lot to prove when she joined the police academy. She hoped he would finally give her a smile of approval as she carried out this sad but important duty.

6pm

Nishimono Park, Nagano

Sasuke was nervous at first, thinking it strange that Naruto would bring him if anywhere to a park, especially when he reached for a hand and held it as they walked through the wood lot and found a fountain to sit by. With confidence, Naruto reached into a bag he brought after a short trip to the store and gave sasuke a rice bean bread puff treat. "Here…I come to this place when I'm really upset. It helps…"

Sasuke pursed his lips. "Are you gay?" He asked.

"What?!" Naruto snapped. "No! I just don't want someone I care about to think he can just throw his life away. I won't let you go on some empty death wish. My life is tied to yours. It's my duty to protect you."

"I don't need protecting." Sasuke said as he stood up. "I don't need my brother, my family or you."

Naruto snapped back. "Well too damn bad because you're stuck with me and I don't take well to no. You've protected me when you shouldn't have, I owe you. Don't you see Sasuke? You're the only family I have, you're the only one I've known who ever gave a shit about me and I'm supposed to sit back, shut up and watch you destroy yourself? No! Don't ask me to do that!"

"Naruto?..." Sasuke replied shuddering.

"I know you don't want my help or Sakura's because you don't want to lose us but fuck Sasuke! Have some faith! Whoever took your love from you, wants to take you from us! Fuck that ass hole…you're not going to do this by yourself!"

Naruto pulled a knife from his jacket and sliced a nick in his palm then sliced one into Sasuke's. "This is my bond to you…by my life or death I swear to help you find the killer of your love…no matter what the cost. I am with you to the bitter end…my vow."

Sasuke started to cry. "You can't…."

"Shut up you fucken cry baby or so help me I'll beat your ass." Naruto snarled as he pulled Sasuke close to him. "Together…or not at all…"

6:10pm

Police Command Post, nagano Middle School

Detective Mori walked from his car over to where Chief Inspector Towashi was dictating to his aide de camp officer Etagawa. "You called me Chief?"

"Yes. I want you to question Ganta Igarashi again. Don't wait till the morning." Towashi replied.

"Anything specific you want me to ask him?" Mori asked.

"Try to clarify this "floating" business, see if he can remember seeing any rigging gear and find out about this shot in the chest? Tell me if the kid's behavior is odd to you." Towashi gestured to his aide to keep tying.

"Any special reason why you want us to watch how the kid reacts?" Mori wondered.

Towashi passed a piece of paper into Mori's hands. "The kid popped positive for street opiates. Both in his urine and samples taken from his clothes. There's other things I can't divulge right now."

Mori pursed his lips. "Is he a suspect?"

"Don't know yet…but it's a damn foolish coincidence that his father gets killed on a plane and this kid survives a multiple killing of decapitations, throat slittings and butcher shop fairs. Call me when you get done?"

"Yes Sir!" Mori saluted and went back to his car.

6am New York Time

13 May 2012

FOX and FRIENDS broadcast

Gretchen Carlson: This is a FOX NEWS ALERT, of course we have been covering the tragic events in Japan that occurred on the morning of the 13th of May their time with the crash of ANA Flight 004 and the Massacre at a Middle School in Nagano. Our own Nick Boyle has been covering both sites, Nick?

Nick Boyle: Gretchen, the National Transportation Ministry of Japan has just announced that flight services throughout the country will be restored to normal by 6am on the 14th. The last victim of the Nagano massacre should be moved to a hospital near here around 10:30 to 11:00pm. The FBI, The NTSB and representatives of the Boeing Company are continuing the investigation of the ANA crash site amidst what are "strong indications" that terrorism was not involved in that accident. Here at the site of the school massacre, a growing crowd of people, hundreds of students still in their school uniforms keep a somber vigil as every victim is carried out through the front doors to an ambulance. They are expected to from up in a line when the final victim comes out as a way of saying fair well to all their murdered friends. Gretchen?

Gretchen Carlson: Thanks Nick. You know I watch these precessions and the treatment given to these poor kids is extraordinary. So much so when you consider how close the Japanese are as a nation, as a people.

Brian Kilmeade: It's incredible…you might have expected that in the face of such a horrific act, and this doesn't happen in Japan if at all, you'd expect people to be just devastated by this but you can see this whole country is just locking step and moving as the Emperor….Akihito said a few hours ago…one nation, one people, one soul. And this from the Prime Minister…"You have shaken us but you will never move us or destroy us." Amazing…truly amazing.

6:30pm

Home of Eshiri Jotatsu

Saitoma poked his head around the door jam and watched his 7yo son Mitsuname touch one item after another in his older brother's room. It was breaking the man's heart. The youngster had been born mute, unable to talk but he didn't need words to convey his emotions. Every touch of something, every brush of fingers, every squint said something…

Finally the boy turned and ran into the arms of his mother and his father couldn't take it, the man turned and quickly walked out into the yard before the boy saw him balling and cursing about before he sat in the grass gripping clutches till his hands were sore.

"Saito?" His wife begged. "Come inside?

Saito rested a hand on hers and took a deep breath. "I can't think of putting his stuff away and I can't think of keeping his room like it is. It's killing me Emiko….it's killing me!"

"\Mitsuname needs his father! I need my husband! Look at me…it's not your fault."

Saito shook his head. "All for what? A few yen? I postponed my son's dental appointment because of a few lousy yen and look what it did!" Saito punched the ground. "Emi? Leave me alone for a moment?..."

Emi gave Saito a hug and a kiss. "Please don't sit out here all night and curse yourself to death…I beg you."

6:40pm

Room 305, Nagano Middle School

Matty Louazou and Osaru Nagahara were comparing notes and photos of the fragments left behind by both the backpack and soccer ball they discussed earlier…

"Among all the personal items, these are the only ones all torn up. Look at the pattern? Arranged out from the hypocenter? Classic bomb casing dispersal pattens." Osaru Nagahara remarked.

"Sure? But where's the bomb? No residues on the swab tests." Matty replied. "How can you make the suggestion or argument that this was the bomb holder unless you can tie the material with the device?"

Kanma overheard the commotion between the men and chimed in. "Am I missing something?"

" Osaru thinks he found where the device sat before the detonation. This torn up backpack and the remains of this soccer ball. I do not subscribe. We have no proof."

The array of the remains is the proof. The fact that these are the only personal items in the room that were torn apart? We should consider the possibility."

Louazou took a few notes. "ok….no explosive residues anywhere thus far, I suppose the soccer ball was over filled with air and exploded?"

"Do you have to be a wise ass Matty?" Kanma asked.

"Unless you believe in Star Trek, the only way an explosive could not leave a single trace of residue is teleportation. That's about as likely as a levitating serial killer."

7pm

Uchiha house

Sasuke stopped at the front lawn gate and sighed…"Guess I better go in. I don't think Itachi told my parents." He groaned.

"You all right?" Naruto asked concerned.

"No." Sasuke sighed. "I just don't know how I can keep going…can you tell I'm a wreck?"

"You're always a wreck." Naruto replied. He slowly looked around and gave Sasuke a quick hug. "You try killing yourself and I'll fucken kll you."

"That sounded stupid." Sasuke replied tiredly.

"You should see me when I'm at my best." Naruto replied as he pushed Sasuke towards his house. "Now get some sleep…or I'll kick your ass in your dreams too."

Sasuke entered the house and slipped out of his shoes as his father walked up. "Itachi says you've been upset most of the day."

"Yes…" Sasuke replied as he stood respectfully. "When someone murders your friends…it's impossible to avoid it."

"A great tragedy." Mr. Uchiha said. "Your mother and I intend to be there tonight. Will you make it?"

"I want to father but I'm so tired. This and Naruto being a constant pain…I'm very tired." Sasuke rubbed his hair. "I'm going to take a nap…I'm not too hungry right now."

Mr. Uchiha nodded. "I'll have your mother save you something."

Sasuke went into his room and slowly closed the sliding door. Before laying down on his futon he walked over to a book shelf and thumbed through the pages of a Kipling novel, stopping to look at the picture he hid inside it.

It was one he took with his digital camera, him and Aki together in Sasuke's room, oh fuck if his parents ever found it, the two boys in a loving, kissing embrace, Sasuke dressed in long white knee socks and black panties with frills…shit his father would have a heart attack.

He slipped the photo back into the book and laid on the futon sobbing till he fell asleep.

7:10pm

Nagano Middle School Gymnasium

Momo bowed with her hands crossed in front of her. "Mr. and Mrs. Fusan? It's time."

Tashi took a deep breath and looked at Ota with his lips rubbing together. "There's so few left. I hope you're not kept here the rest of the night?"

"We'll manage." Ota replied. "Look…our house has two extra rooms. You both are welcome to stay with us for a while. I'm thinking it might be for the best if we could share the difficulty together."

"Like the time you and I got lost in the woods near Chiba?" Tashi said with a laugh. "You were a lousy blanket."

"Don't get me started on that adventure. It was your big idea we hide there after we set the woods on fire." Ota replied as he gave Tashi a slight push. "I'm always here."

Tashi nodded as he patted Ota on the arm and took his wife by the hand. "I'll call you once you're home."

Ota gave a short wave as the couple followed Momo towards the doors.

7:30pm

Fujimori General Hospital

Ban turned to see Abe walking with another officer at his side and waved. "Glad you're here. I was about to grab a pillow and sack out on the floor."

Sargent Deutadi saluted. "Everything's quiet from the look of it but don't take your car out the front way…there's news people all over the place. It took us ten minutes to get to the parking level."

Ban yawned. "The kid inside has been quiet, I think he finally settled down enough to crash. Headquarters doesn't want him released tonight."

Deutadi nodded. "What was it really like? I keep hearing the news rumors that it was worse than any car accident we've been too."

Ban took a deep breath. "Car accident doesn't describe it…it was like walking into a blender bowl with the machine on full power…Fuck! I can still smell it…That's just pinned to my head, it was a huge mess of fish chum."

"That's a terrible way to describe that…" Deutadi said. "I mean easy for you, you're not married with kids."

Ban shook his head. "That's the truth…the mother fucker filleted those poor kids like a monger at a fish mart. You and your boys had better keep a good eye and don't hesitate to unleash hell if you have too. Judging by what this guy did? He's not going to give you a second to think."

Deutadi nodded. "Understood. Hope you can sleep after all this?"

"After 15 years of seeing road and street carnage? I'll probably drink myself into oblivion." Ban saluted and walked with Abe down to their cruiser.

"You should request a 48 hour break. Department policy allows that after these kind of things, they want to make sure you're not going to go postal." Ban said to Abe as they slipped into the car.

"I think I will." Abe said as he rubbed his face. "I think I'll take your suggestion, buy some Jack Daniels and get smashed."

"Sounds like a good idea." Ban said as he turned the key and drove the cruiser out into the night.

7:55pm

Nagano Middle School Gymnasium

Ota had nodded off only to be awakened by Tashi as he sat next to him. "Huh? What are you still doing here?"

"We decided to stay a little longer…thought with so few left, it wouldn't be right to leave you both alone. No need to go on to the hospital so quickly." Tashi said as he drooped his head down. "They….he….he cut her fucken head off."

Ota turned aside and clenched his teeth.

"Don't tell Kio? She….she doesn't know. She wanted to spend a little more time with Chiro before they took her to the hospital." Tashi went silent for a moment before he took a long breath and shook his hands. "Ah….it's difficult not wanting to get angry…I'm afraid I'll punch the fuck out of the first person who says something wrong."

"Join the club." Ota said rubbing his neck. "The only consolation I can have will be if I know Mimi didn't suffer. I hope to God she didn't suffer to death."

7:57pm

Room 305, Nagano Middle School

Kanma watched as one of her crew gingerly handled a girl's severed head in his hands and ran his fingers through the top of her scalp. "What are you looking at?"

"I think she was the last to die." Wataru Yuse said as he pointed around the spots on the head. "There's bruising in several spots indicating the head was tossed hard. On the scalp there's bruising and tearing of flesh in small clumps where her hair was dislodged. I think she was hung by her hair and she fought. The fingers on the body are missing some nails. She struggled then she was decapitated. My guess is he saved her specially for last."

Wataru handed the head over to another crewman who worked with another to re-attach the head before moving the remains out of the room. "Only three more to go. This one has to be the last one because the mortuary crew down in the tent wants to get more pictures and samples in case we miss something."

Kanma agreed. She turned to see a white haired, portly old foreigner standing at the door. "Joe Petroni? The room's not going to be ready for you yet."

"Don't think I'll need to see it. Judging by the look of it, nothing seriously structural was compromised. I'll have my team do the rooms around it and then we'll re-certify the building as safe for occupants. My guess is they would like the building re-opened within the week."

Petroni looked at the crews working around the last remaining bodies. "Bastard. The police still don't have an I.D. on the suspect do they?"

"Not yet. I don't think it will be hard though to find a 6 foot 3 inch man in Japan though." Kana said as she walked off with a wave. "Have to finish this before midnight."

8pm

Police Command Post, Nagano Middle School

Press update with Inspector Towashi

"Good evening…as of now there are three more victims left to be removed and identified. The last one will perhaps be moved between 10pm and 10:30 or shortly after that."

"There is nothing new yet regarding the suspect. No sightings of such persons have been reported. We continue to urge the public to remain vigilant."

"We have a structural assessment team now in place to re-certify the school for public safety. The school will remain closed for several days, the affected crime scene will be closed for an undisclosed period."

"No responsibility has been claimed. No organizations have boasted to the media. To squash rumors, there is no evidence that the Aum cultists were responsible. We urge all citizens NOT, I repeat NOT use this tragedy to undertake acts of reprisal. We will not tolerate it."

"When the final victim is ready for removal, the school grounds will be opened temporarily for the student body and no others. Please respect the crime scene markings."

8:10pm

Home of Ryshiro Emisa

Kisuke Emisa came through the front door, softly removed his shoes and sat on the edge of the floor. He took a moment to think then looked out the doorway to Kisame. The poor dog was still laying on the grass waiting for Ryshiro. Kisuke could hear the pattering of his Mother's feet behind him. "Kisuke? Where is Nanami?"

"With her parents…has Kisame been out there all afternoon? Kisuke asked as he stood up.

"Yes….poor thing. Are you all right?" She asked as she took her son's arm.

"Does Minamo know yet?" He asked.

"I haven't told her…I think that's up to her father." The old woman replied as they walked into the kitchen.

Kisuke dropped his coat on a chair. "I've tried to think of the right words…not easy. I tried to practice them in the car…it just made things worse." He pointed to the coffee maker. "I think I will need some Mother…I can't put this off till morning…"Minamo?!...come into the kitchen!"

The little girl walked in with a book in her hands. "You said you would help me with homework tonight dad." She looked around. "Where's mom and Ryshiro?"

Kisuke looked at his mother then beckoned Minamo to his side. "Sigh…this is difficult "Meemoo" to say. There's been a very bad thing…your brother…he's gone from us…"

Minamo gestured. "Gone?"

"He….he died Meemoo." Kisuke said softly. "He died at school…"

Minamo shook her head. "No….Why! He was going to take me…no!"

Kisuke looked at her Grandmother. "Did you know?! Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Child….I…." Before Grandmother could finish, Minamo screamed and cried out of the room.

"I handled that poorly." Kisuke said as he took his Mother's hand.

"It could not be helped." She replied. "It's never easy finding the right words for this because there are no right words for it."

As if he understood what had happened, Kisame raised her head and began to mournfully cry and howl, only adding to the grief now flowing through the house.

8:17pm

N.M.S. Principle Rhongiku's House

"I'm drained." Toshiro Hitsugaya said as he slumped into a couch and looked at the cup of coffee Miss Rhongiku put in front of him.

"Drink up." She said buoyantly. "You need the extra pep."

Toshiro frowned. "How can you feel even the least bit pleasant after what's happened? You know there are times I hate having been born gifted? I sometimes long to be a troublemaker like Naruto Uzamaki or having an edge like Sasuke Uchiha, instead I was a born leader before my first diaper change…I don't feel normal at all."

Rhongiku wrapped an arm around Toshiro's shoulders. "My dear, sometimes fate is a strange creature…you can't escape it. Sadly those we lost today couldn't as well. Being deeply Buddhist, I accept death as a part of life and hope that those who perished will reside in a happier place. I still mourn but I don't allow it to take me from my chosen path through life. You shouldn't allow this to harm you but use it as it was given too you."

Toshiro ran a hand through his white hair. "I agree with you somewhat Master Rhongiku, yet I can't be completely void of feelings…" Toshiro felt himself pulled into Rhongiku's bosom.." Allow me to give you some comfort" She said as she held him still.

"Any tighter and you'll smother me." He said. "How would that look in the morning paper? Student Body President smothered by enormous tits."

"At least you died happy." She replied smiling.

8:30pm

Uchiha Residence

Sasuke groaned and stirred from his sleet as he felt someone poking him on the head. "Cut it out!" He snapped as he swiped the air. He turned about on his futon to see Itachi sitting next to him on the tutami mats. "You ok?" He asked.

Sasuke brooded. "I suppose you told Father by now."

"No…why should I?" Itachi said.

Sasuke frowned. "I'm a shame to the family. I disappointed you…"

"Will you stop acting so Emo?" Itachi snorted. "You'll work things out for yourself so stop trying to live in my shadow for once."

Sasuke rubbed his hair. "You're not bothered by me being a faggot?"

"Should I?" Itachi replied. "As I said you'll work things out for yourself so I'm not going to shove my thinking down your throat. I am worried about you though. You're not planning anything stupid?"

"Fuck!" Sasuke snapped. "does everyone think I'm planning to kill myself?"

"No…but when you lose someone you had a heart for like this? You tend to get into your mind thoughts of breaking some one's neck and usually it ends up being your own. I just want to caution you against doing something stupid."

"I'm not planning on it." Sasuke said frowning. "I want the truth though…about Aki…about how he died. I have a right to know."

Itachi thought for a moment. "Alright…when I find out, I'll let you know but you promise me you won't do any stupid shit."

"Brother!"

"Promise me!" Itachi warned. "Don't you dare cause our mother any grief because if you do? I will so fuck you up."

Sasuke turned his head away but Itachi struck it hard! "Sasuke! Promise me!"

"Ok…I promise! Damn…"Sasuke replied bitterly. "I won't do anything."

Itachi smirked and thumped Sasuke off the forehead. "See you keep it that way."

8:40pm

Police Box 37, 5 blocks from Nagano Middle School

Officer Negishi Kotaru had the man by the arm as he brought him through the door of the small patrol box. "Now you sit right here Jonkin. How many times will it be tonight? Six or Seven? You're behavior's starting to get old."

The man was drunk again, he was always drunk and doing something stupid. This time he was harassing some of the poor kids on their way to the school…babbling on that he saw the guy who did the crime…the guy who floated up to the window and unleashed hell..by his description.

"But I'm serious! I…I may be a little intoxicated but damn it, I saw the guy! He was floating…"

"Yes, yes…he floated from his magic carpet and killed all those students didn't he? And did he have big ears, a tail and horns too? Jonkin you are such a bull shit artist!" The officer said as he reached for a phone. "Now shut up and stay quiet."

Jonkin jumped up and got in the poor officer's face. "God damn it I'm being serious! I saw the guy!"

Kotaru swept the poor man's legs out from under him and sent him to the floor in a heap. "I told you to keep quiet you drunk bastard!"

8:55pm

Fujimori General Hospital

Detective Mori and his two assistants entered Ganta's room and found him sitting up in bed. Obviously he'd gotten more than enough rest.

Mori took a seat once again at the bed side. "Ganta, we have more questions for you if you may.

Ganta nodded. "Anything yet inspector? Have you guys found him?"

"Not yet. And thankfully he has not done anything more." Mori replied as he offered Ganta a bottle of water. " We have to question you further about the events and your memories of the suspect. You said he was "floating" outside the window?"

"Yeah. He was just hanging in the air." Ganta gestured. "Really..he just hung there."

"Perhaps you didn't get a chance to clearly see anything. Was he using rope? A sling? Perhaps tactical harness gear?"

Ganta scratched his hair. "I know what I saw, he didn't have any ropes, I didn't see any. He was just floating there I mean we must have had like ten seconds before everything blew up."

"Blew up? You mean when the bomb went off?"

" That's what it felt like, the whole room just exploded."

Mori wiped his chin. "Where did this explosion come from?"

"From in front of me" Ganta said "…like….maybe two or three feet away."

Mori pulled out a small note book and started making notes. "Did you see a weapon being used by the suspect? Did he throw anything?"

Ganta opened his hands and wiped them out in front of his chest. "He just whipped his hands out like this and boom!"

"Did you see anything hit or come through the glass?"

" No. After he threw his hands out everything just exploded."

" Was there a flash, a fire, heat?" Mori asked as he kept making notations and looking at his fellow officers.

"There was a lot of wind, like a tornado. Enough to throw me through the air."

"You said you were shot in the chest by the suspect, what kind of weapon did he use?"

Ganta tapped his chest. "His hand. He shot this red stone into my chest."

"A red stone?" Mori looked at Ganta confused. "You're sure of this?"

"Yeah. They keep saying there's nothing there but I felt it, I saw it hit me and sink into my chest. I'm not lying!" Ganta started to get upset.

"Well, the doctors will need to do more testing." Mori said as he stood up. " That's all for now Ganta. Thank you."

"Your welcome. Please tell me if you catch the guy?" Ganta asked. He watched the police leave the room before turning the television back on.

9:10pm

NHK Show "The Tetsushima Daily Recap"

"So it seems that terrorism wasn't really involved in the crash of ANA flight 004. To what then do we attribute these pieces of evidence Mister Sudahara?"

"Well….there is the 1986 Aloha airlines accident where an early model 737 suffered catastrophic failure of its upper body structure over the wing section. This 737 wasn't very old, about 5 years from the records released so far by ANA and the inspection regimes for the aircraft were up to date to my understanding. There's always the chance that microscopic stress cracks were present which detection measures missed and they suddenly ruptured. That will probably be the finding as this continues."

"\Do you think the Nagano School Massacre was also not an act of terrorism?"

"I doubt terrorism would even play a role in that. Universally, terrorists groups tend to shy away from acts where children are the exclusive targets, the out of the norm event being Besslan Russia in 2005 of course but this doesn't strike me as a terrorist act."

"Then how could even one person have the ability to slaughter 29 children? Why didn't any of them escape?"

"Panic would be the main reason. If you are in the flight aspect of adrenal fed emotion, you make deadly mistakes. My guess is the children who survived surged to the only exit they had and the panic was so overwhelming that none of them could get the door open…or the killer locked it ahead of time."

"Are you suggesting one of them could have been the killer?"

"It's shere speculation at this point but we have one survivor who wasn't seriously wounded in any way. Itr's also possible, given that Ganta Igarashi's father was aboard ANA flight 004 that this could have been some carefully plotted act of revenge, perhaps by the underworld or some other organization that Mister Igarashi was in debt too."

"Excuse me Sir, we must go to a presss conference at Nagano…"

Captain Totamo took his place before a podium. "I can report that all the victims have now been removed from room 305. The final victim will be removed from the school grounds at 10:30pm. The school grounds will be open for students only at that time as requested by their Student Body President. I wish to commend our staff and officers for the grace and professional manor which they displayed to the families and to our nation in this time of sorrow. The school will remain closed for the remainder of the week, the 3rd floor for at least a month until the final investigation is complete. Thank you."

9:20pm

Gymnasium, Nagano Middle School

Ota grasped his hand as he dreaded the two slow walking officers as they approached. Rhukia bowed to him while Momo placed a bouquet of white flowers in the hands of his wife. "On behalf of officer Hinamori and myself, we extend to you our deepest feelings for both of you. Will you come with us please?"

Ota slowly stood and took their hands. "And thank you both for your kindness and respect to all of us…and our children." He turned to hold his wife and nodded as they all began to walk for those dreaded doors.

9:27pm

Uchiha House

Naruto stood trying not to come up with something stupid to say as the door opened. "Hi…is Sasuke getting ready to go yet?"

Mister Uchiha said nothing, just pointed his hand for Naruto to come in and look for himself. He slid open Sasuke's bedroom door to find him dressed nicely for once. Usually he'd be amiss in something, he never obey'd the school rules which he thought were suffocating bull shit.

"Hey! You look human!" Naruto said softly smiling.

"Fuck off idiot." Sasuke replied before putting his head down in his hands. Naruto got onto the floor and slowly moved a hand aside from Sasuke's face."You going to be ok?"

"Sigh…." Sasuke replied. "You don't know how that riles me. Of course I'm not fucken ok!" Sasuke stopped for a moment. "I can still feel him…I can still smell him…taste him…fuck."

Naruto rubbed Sasuke's arm. "To the death remember? Me and Sakura are here for you, don't throw us off."

"You know?" Sasuke snapped. "Maybe when you lose YOUR fucken lover, you'll understand!"

Naruto realized Sasuke was going through a hellish torment and now wasn't the time to pick a fight or annoy the poor guy. "I have a love…my best friend…hell, the only real family member I ever had. Don't fucken shut me out Sasuke….don't…"

Naruto took Sasuke's hand. "You, me and Sakura…kind of a screwed up soup sandwich but hey you get what 50 Yen gets you. Come on."

Naruto pulled Sasuke up and walked with him past his suspicious prick of a father. "Is he always like this?"

Sasuke smiled a little. "That's just his happy face."

9:40\pm

357fm, The Magnum

The Rick Dees Show

"Once again let me update you on the latest news as we have it. The transport ministry says all transit services will be back to their normal schedules by 6am tomorrow, this includes domestic air services and international flights"

"The national constabulary insists that there's no evidence, clear anyway, that a connection exists between flight 004 and the Nagano massacre because of the fact that Ganta Igarashi's father was one of those who perished on the flight. I'm sure by now that all kind of conspiracies are flying around the internet."

"Ganta Igarashi remains in the hospital for now under observation and police protection."

"In about 45 minutes, the last victim will be removed from the school. Students are already arriving and it looks as if the crowd is now flowing from the school compound to the hospital."

"The next to last victim is being removed now. There is a huge tarp drapped over the windows of the crime scene and a black bunted national flag hangs over that."

"The parents of the last victim will be escorted by the Principle Mrs. Rhongiku and the Student Body President Toshiro Hitsugaya. There's word that the Prime Minister, Tako Doi, will be there as well."

9:49pm

Nagano Middle School

Sakura saw Naruto with Sasuke in tow and walked up to offer a hug. She wasn't surprised he refused it. "I'll be fine, stop fawning?" He asked her quietly.

"Just making sure you're handling this." She said respectfully.

"I've been to police funerals since I was 4, this is no different." He said as he looked up at the tarp covering the room. "I wonder if they'll use that room again?"

Naruto snorted. "You know it'll probably end up like Hiroshima…another tourist trap that sells trinkets and shames the dead."

Sakura snarled. "You heartless little shit!"

Sasuke raised a hand. "He's not off the mark. Hiroshima is a tourist trap. Let's hope we learn from it and don't let that happen here."

9:55pm

Mortuary Tent, Nagano Middle School

Ota sat with his wife, both of them slowly touching and softly rubbing their daughter as Momo and Rhukia stood patiently by. "Do you want more time? We can suspend taking…"

Ota looked up. "No…it just difficult to realize she's not waking up." Ota stood up and helped his wife to her feet. "We're ready."

10pm

NHK SPECIAL BROADCAST

"News Anchor: Ladies and Gentlemen…The Prime Minister."

My fellow citizens,

"This morning we began this day as often many of us do. Today regretfully, it will not end as we expected. When they came to school this morning here in Nagano, 29 of our children expected another normal school day. It did not end as they expected. Instead of a day filled with the promise of education, we were all forced to experience a day of terror, of uncertainty, of loss, of pain, of grief."

"But what we will not experience in a few moments, as so often happens in moments of tragedy, will be despair, hopelessness, or loss in our future hopes as a people. Terrible events can shake the faith of one person alone, it can never shake the faith of a people united. If indeed our children signify the strength and stability of the Japanese nation, then tonight amidst so much loss this day, stands proof that our resolution and our future is strong."

"Tonight we shall mourn but tonight for this moment it shall be as his majesty spoke earlier today…one people, one heart, one soul, on body….unafraid, unmoved and unwilling to allow this terrible act of brutality to still the fire which is our people."

(Fade to black)

(Fade in to the front gates of Nagano Middle School)

Anchor: We welcome our viewers to this somber closure of what has been a terrible day here in Nagano and across the nation. The last of 29 victims who perished here at the 4th Prefectorial Middle School in Nagano Japan will be leaving the front doors for the final time. I am Benisato Gomie with Kazaku Henken atop the roof of Chisume Bank which is across the street from the main gate of the school compound. Students are still coming, dressed in their uniforms. Some have flowers in hand, others I see small stuffed animals perhaps a trinket. They are starting to form two long lines from the front door to an ambulance which has just pulled up at the gate.

It was of course this morning that the horrific crime occurred here in the room on the 3rd floor now covered by a large tarpaulin and the national flag bunted in black over the top of it. The reason, the suspect or suspect(s) are still being sought tonight. This is a sad event, one which often never happens in our nation and we never expect it to happen…

Kazaku : And now we can hear that somber song once more that has played here all day, "Oh God of Loveliness." Which tells us that the time is close at hand. I can now see four people at the front doors, I believe two are the parents, one is Principle Rhongiku and the other is the Student Body President. The identity of the last student is 14 year old Mimi Sasamu of Nagano So Rhinkan Cho. Her father is a welder with Chigusake Heavy Industrials, her mother is a financial clerk with Asano Real Estates. The Student Body President is now shaking hands with the father while Principle Rhongiku gives Mrs. Sasamu a hug…

Benesato: Now they are walking away from the building between the rows of students, some of them offering hugs, others are just touching them, reaching out, saying words as they slowly walk to the gate where there is a car waiting for them. If we look back now at the doorway I can see what looks like a stretcher being carried by two female police officers and a medical technician dressed in a light blue uniform. They are waiting for a moment while the students close their two lines, my guess is they intend to pass the stretcher down the walk to the ambulance at the end…this is just gut wrenching to watch…

10:30pm

Fujimori General Hospital

Ganta screwed his eyes shut, tears rolling like unending rivers off his cheeks. He clenched his fists so hard that he didn't notice the small drop of blood coming from his left hand as his nails cut into his palms. Finally he just broke, pounding the bed over and over and crying till he threw the remote at the Television and covered his face in his knees sobbing.

10:31pm

Nagano Middle School.

Kazaku: Now it begins…the two police officers are now handing the stretcher to the first students outside the door. These officers have been with the partents of the victims all day and yet you must admire their bearing. All that suffering and they are crisp…dignified…such an honor for the force to have these two women…now they snap to attention and salute as the stretcher begins to slowly move between the lines of students.

Benesato: As it passes you can see students trying to put small things on it…flowers, little stuffed animals…key chains…this is so touching to watch. It is being handed slowly down the line passed student to student…

10:33pm

The line, Nagano Middle School

It was unbearable for Sasuke, he couldn't grab the stretcher so Naruto slowly bore it for him. He stood gritting his teeth trying to refrain from people seeing the normally tough looking Uchiha acting like such a baby but he couldn't help it. Sakura stepped in to guide him away. "Aki…..Aki….." He softly cried.

Kazaku: Now as the stretcher comes closer to the ambulance, the song has been replaced by a line of funeral Odyku banging out an ancient drum cadence that calls Samurai to the world beyond. Now the two police cars in the front have turned on their lights, the crowd outside the school was closing in on the street, now they are moving aside as the cars and ambulance begin their slow crawl towards Fujimori Hospital a few blocks from here…

11pm

Deadman Wonderland, somewhere in G-Block.

"Yeah! Checkmate! I win, I win, I win!" The excited albino girl cheered as she threw her hands up and jumped up and down…till she noticed her oponant had moved from the table to infront of a television with the other much younger man in the grey suit.

"Hey! Ojisan! I beat you!" The girl snorted. "Turn away from the dumb television and say something! That's so rude!"

The elderly man turned in his wheel chair. "I'm sorry my dear…as always you are cleaver again aren't you?"

"Hmph!" She said somewhat annoyed. "I can't wait till Ganta gets here. He's always more fun. You are going to get him to come here right Oji?"

The old man looked up at his partner, who stood adjusting the glasses on his nose. "So how will you play this game my son?"

"Like every other father…skillfully. I'm just biding my time for the right moment to step in." The younger man said as clicked off the television.

"Just be careful you don't over-extend yourself Tomiki…sometimes you have a nasty habit of making mistakes and we can't afford that on this venture, do you understand me?"

"Perfectly." The young man replied. "Trust me father, there won't be any problems."

EPILOGE

11:59pm

357fm The Magnum

The Rick Dee's show

"Ladies and Gentlemen….it's now 11:59pm, 1 minute to midnight May 14th 2012. I think the appropriate word for the past hours….has to be "suck". Yeah…."Suck"….is the fitting description for this day. The final death toll down in Nagasaki is 394 dead, that's everyone on Flight 004 and those on the ground who were caught when it crashed. In Nagano…29 children, though it's starting to look like terrorism was not the cause for both incidents. The bastard who butchered that whole room of students is still at large tonight. I beg you all to be careful if you're still out and around."

"Sigh"…..We saw a lot of the worst of man today in the most horrific way I can imagine. Yet, when you think about it, we saw a whole lot more good…which climaxed tonight with that demonstration by the entire Nagano Middle School class…living proof my friends that life will continue. Though the pain will be with us for some time to come, life will progress forward. The Middle School will eventually open, students will return to school and then they'll go on with their lives. From this horrible day, goodness and light will eventually triumph. But for now there is some mourning and remembering to carry forth. Let us join in a moment of silence before closing this broadcast for the people who perished on this day we will not soon forget…

(silence)

"My friends this is your host Rick Dees…it's 14 May 2012 and time for me to close out. I'll see you like always…..on the flip side."

THE END


End file.
